SALAKO, Prof Babatunde Lawal

Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako was born on 23rd July 1959 to Alhaji and Alhaja Ibathllahi Lawal Salako of Oke Oyinbo Quarters Ota, Ogun State. He attended Ansar-uddeen practicing school Ota, between 1968 and 1973, Ansar-ud-deen Secondary Modern School Ota, from 1973-1975. He also attended Ansar-ud-deen College Offa from 1975- 1979 where he was the Senior Prefect in his final year and graduated in grade1with aggregate 16, the best result in the school that year. He attended the then Kwara State College of Technology Ilorin, for his basic studies 1979-1981 and graduated from the University of Ibadan with MBBS degree in 1986. Dr. Salako did housemanship with the Lagos State Health Management Board between 1986 and 1987 at the Lagos Island General Hospital, Mercy Street Hospital and Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos Island. He served the mandatory one year NYSC service at the Isiala-ngwa Local Government Area of Imo State. Doctor Salako joined the University College Hospital, Ibadan in April 1990 for Residency training in the Department of Medicine and obtained the Fellowship of the West African College of Physician within 4 and half years in October 1994. He was subsequently appointed a lecturer and consultant nephrologist in the Department in March 1996 and by this appointment, he became an honorary Consultant Physician & Nephrologist to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria from 1996 to date. He rose through the ranks to become senior lecturer in 1999, Reader in 2003 and Professor in October 2006. Professor Salako also did a number of management and certificate courses at the prestigious Lagos Business School in 2010 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh September 2014 and the Royal College of Physicians of London in May 2016. He has won a number of local and international Fellowships and research grants including the World Heart Federation Fellowship in year 2000, the University of Ibadan Senate research grant, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan grant and Macarthur research grant. He is Co-Principal Investigator on the National Institute of Health grant on Genetics of Hypertension in Blacks: Recruitment of Hypertension Cases for Genome-Wide Association Studies in collaboration with the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Loyola University Chicago, USA and also PI on Genetic Influences on Severity of Sickle Cell Anemia in the Yoruba. He is the site principal investigator in the Human Heredity in Health grant on kidney disease research network in collaboration with the University of Ghana and University of Michigan, United State. Professor Salako is a Co-Investigator in another NIH grant titled Tailored hospital-based risk reduction to impede vascular events after strokes. His community efforts have been rewarded with meritorious awards by a number of bodies and associations including the Brownite of Honor award by the students of Alexander Brown Hall of the University of Ibadan in 2004. The “distinguished Professor B L Salako quiz competition” is a yearly competition organized in his honor by the same group of students since 2013. Other awards includes merit award by Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Oyo Area Unit in 2004, commitment to medical practice and excellence by the Board and Management of the University College Hospital in 2008 for the first kidney transplantation in UCH, Ibadan, distinguish award of honor and service by the Nigerian Medical Association, Oyo State in 2008, merit award by center for initiatives against destitution and crime 2012, award of excellence by the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria, Oyo State in 2012, meritorious award by Rotary Club of Eleyele in 2013 and appreciation award by the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area for human capital development of the Local Government in 2013 to mention a few. Prof. Salako was also given an award as life member of Excellence by the University of Ibadan Medical Students’ Association in March, 2016. He is currently the Chairman Governing Council of Kings Gate International College, Ibadan, Chairman Board of Management Otunba Tunwase National Paediatric Center, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, member Board of Management of the University College Hospital Ibadan, member Governing Board of Muslim Hospital, Odinjo, Ibadan and Chairman Board of Trustee of Excellence and Friends Management Care, Abuja. He currently sits in attendance on the Council of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Professor Salako served as Vice-Chairman of NMA Oyo State Branch between 2000-2002, acting Chairman and later the substantive Chairman between 2002 and 2004.He was a member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Medical Association between 2002 and 2006. He was a visiting nephrologist at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University Hospital, United Kingdom in 2007, a visiting Professor at the Department of Public Health Science, Loyola University, Chicago, USA in 2010 and visiting Professor to the Nephrology Division of the Medical School, University of Michigan, United State in 2015. He was invited by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta USA, as a member of international expert panel to design a ten-day seminar on control of chronic disease and cardiovascular disease Epidemiology for sub-Saharan Africa in 2003 and also by the International Society of Hypertension in Blacks as a member of the Scientific planning Committee for the 2003 international conference in Ghana. In March 2010, Professor Salako was invited by Norvatis International as an opinion leader in an international consortium to discuss kidney transplantation in sub-Saharan Africa in Dakar, Senegal. As a distinguished Professor and Faculty of the University of Ibadan, he has served the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan in a number of capacities some of which include the Chair of Faculty of Clinical Science sub-committee on UI 60th anniversary, member University Committee on UI 65th anniversary, Hall Master Alexander Brown Hall, Assistant Editor-in-Chief African Journal of Medicine & Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital, Ibadan. He is a member of the Senate of University of Ibadan, he was elected the 10th Provost of the College and assumed office on the 1st of August 2014. He was recently appointted by the President and Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Major General Mohammodu Buharis as the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos. Professor Salako is a member of many professional associations including the Nigerian Medical Association, Fellow of the West African College of Physician, Fellow Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh United Kingdom, Nigerian Association of Nephrology, Nigerian Society of hypertension, Fellow of the World Heart Federation, member Global Forum for Health Research, Geneva, International Society of Nephrology, International Society of hypertension, African Society of Human Genetics and International Society of Hypertension in Blacks. He was appointed the editor of the Tropical Journal of Nephrolgy, the official journal of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology 2005-2012, Vice-President of the Association in 2012, President Elect of the association in 2014 and assumed office as President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology in February 2016. Professor Salako was appointed as examiner by the West African College of Physician from 2006 to date; he has also served as external examiner and assessor to a number of Universities including the University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomoso, Lagos State University Lagos, the University of Cape town, South Africa, Virginia State University, United State of America and University of Western Cape South Africa. He is the current Vice President of the Life Resuscitation Society of Nigeria and the National Convener for the M-PACT project of the West African College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians of London. Professor Salako is a clinician of high repute and has been involved in a number of clinical trials on drug development. He worked with Neimeth Pharmaceuticals International to formulate the drug Miniplus in 2003 following the disappearance of Minizide in the Nigerian market. Prof Salako also wrote the protocols for the clinical trials of Miniplus. Apart from Neimeth, he also did clinical trials on drugs marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, Olpharm Pharmaceuticals, May & Baker and Sanofil Synthelabo Nig, Ltd. As a trainer he has trained and supervised with others more than 20 renal Physicians including one who is now a Professor of Nephrology. He has made significant contributions to the field of hypertension and kidney disease, he played a significant role in the establishment of kidney transplantation at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. He has published more than 95 journal articles in both local and international journals including a book on nephrology for laypersons. Professor Salako has attended several local and international conferences and workshops and is widely traveled. He is married to Mrs. Saidat Abiola Abiodun Salako; they are blessed with 3 children, Ibraheem Abiodun, Hikmot Yetunde and Idris Akintunde. He enjoys music, traveling, driving, reading and listening to the Holy Quran. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Professor Babatubde Lawal Salako, MBBS, Ibadan, FWACP, FRCP (Edinburgh), FRCP (London), MNIM.