Popular Nigerian academic, Umaru Shehu, is dead

03 Oct Popular Nigerian academic, Umaru Shehu, is dead

Umaru Shehu, a popular Nigerian academic and professor of medicine is dead.

His death was announced by Borno Elders Forum, in a statement.

The statement said he died Monday morning at the age of 97.

“We regret to announce the demise of our founding father of both Kanem Borno Historical and Cultural Foundation (KBHCF) – Professor Emeritus Umar Shehu, CFR.

“The late Shehu himself, Shettima Monguno, and Maina Damchida were the founding fathers of the Borno Elders Forum, all the three have now left us, he was the last of the titans, May Allah have mercy upon them.

“Professor Emeritus Umar Shehu died this morning. Aged 97, he left behind his immediate family and all of us in Nigeria. His burial comes up at his residence, GRA Maiduguri, at 5 pm today”, the statement said

Mr Shehu was born in Maiduguri on 8 December 1930 in the then Borno province (now Borno state) North-Eastern Nigeria.

He attended elementary school in Maiduguri from 1935 to 1940, followed by middle school from 1941 to 1943. From 1944 to 1947, he studied at Kaduna College in Zaria and then proceeded to University College Ibadan from 1948 to 1953.

He also spent time at the University of Liverpool in two separate periods, between 1953 and 1956, and again from 1966 to 1967. He obtained his medical degree from the University of London.

In 1957, after completing his medical education, Mr Shehu began working as a pre-registration house surgeon at the Southport Infirmary in the United Kingdom. Later that same year, he returned to the Government of Northern Nigeria and served as a pre-registration house physician.

He gradually climbed the ranks within the medical field, holding the positions of Medical Officer from 1957 to 1963, Senior Medical Officer from 1963 to 1965, Principal Medical Officer from 1965 to 1966, Assistant Chief Medical Officer from 1966 to 1967, and Chief Medical Officer in the Preventive Services Division from 1967 to 1968.

Following his tenure in the Preventive Services Division, Mr Shehu was offered a position as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Chief Medical Officer in the North-Eastern State. However, he declined the offer and instead chose to join the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).

He became a Reader and Acting Head of the Department of Community Medicine from 1968 to 1970 becoming the Department’s first ever Head. During this period, he also served as the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and acted as the Director of the Institute of Health from 1969 to 1970.

In 1970, he attained the position of Professor of Community Medicine and became the Head of the Department of Community Medicine, a role he held from 1970 to 1978. Additionally, Mr Shehu served as the Director of the Institute of Health from 1970 to 1977 and took on the responsibilities of Deputy Vice Chancellor from 1975 to 1976. Finally, he assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor from 1977 to 1978.

In recognition of his accomplishments and contributions, he was appointed as a Professor Emeritus in 2000.