Professor Femi Soyinka, the renowned researcher and former Provost of the College of Health Sciences of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has died at 85.
Soyinka was the younger brother of Nobel laureate and professor of comparative literature, Wole Soyinka.
According to a statement by his family, Soyinka died in the early hours of Tuesday at his home in Kukumada Village, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The statement reads: “The Soyinka Family of Ake/Isara, Ogun State, has announced the passing of their father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle Professor Femi Soyinka, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at his home in Kukumada Village, Ibadan, Oyo State.
“Born in 1937 Professor Femi Soyinka received a Medical degree in Medicine and Surgery MBchB from University of Heidelberg, 1964; and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the same University in 1965. He specialised and practised as a Dermatologist, Venereologist and Allergologist at the University of Giessen, 1969.
“In 1972, he obtained a Master of Public Health degree from Hadassah Medical School, (MPH) Israel.
“He worked in the academic field for 30 years, holding various positions from Chief Medical Director to Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Provost of College of Health Sciences of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He was also involved in ex-tensive research work on Tropical Skin Diseases and Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in collaboration with the Federal government, international donor agencies and organizations such as the World Bank, UNDP, DFID, the British Council; and the International Development Re-search Centre, Canada.