Umaru Shehu

Umaru Shehu (8 December 1930 – 2 October 2023) was a Nigerian physician and academic administrator.

He held significant positions in several universities, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, and the University of Maiduguri.

He was the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN).

Umaru Shehu was born in Maiduguri on 8 December 1930, in the then Borno province (now Borno state) of the North-Eastern State in Northern Nigeria.

Shehu 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.

Shehu obtained his Medical degree from the University of London.

In 1957, after completing his medical education, 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, 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 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, 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.

Professor Shehu served as the President of Medical Schools in Africa from 1973 to 1975.

Additionally, he took on the role of External Examiner in Public Health at the University of Ghana Medical School.

He has also chaired the boards of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and STOPAIDS.

Furthermore, Professor Shehu has served as a patron in various healthcare-related organizations, including the Guild of Medical Directors, Nationwide Network for Health, Nigerian Medical Forum of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Nigerian Institute of Stress.

Shehu also served as a Trustee for the National Foundation on Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF).

Moreover, he has been a member of the Board of Trustees for the Nigerian Tuberculosis and Leprosy Association.

In terms of publications, Professor Shehu has made contributions to medical journals.

He has served as a member of the Editorial Board for the West African Medical Journal and as a Consulting Editor for the Nigerian Medical Practitioner.

Additionally, he has held the role of Editorial Adviser for the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal.

Notably, he has served as a joint editor-in-chief for the British Medical Journal West Africa edition.

He served as the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) until his passing.

Professor Shehu also worked closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) in various capacities.

Finally, he assumed the position of Pro Vice Chancellor from 1977 to 1978.

During his tenure at the University of Maiduguri, Professor Shehu has held significant positions and made notable contributions to the institution.

In 1978, he assumed the role of Vice Chancellor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he made significant contributions to the academic and administrative development of the institution until 1980.

Since 1991, he has served as an Honorary Consultant Physician, a position he held until his passing.

Additionally, Shehu served as the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences at the University from 1991 to 1993.

At the University College Hospital Ibadan, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Management from 1991 to 1994, providing strategic guidance and oversight to the hospital's operations.

Furthermore, Professor Shehu took on the responsibility of Sole Administrator of the University of Maiduguri from 1993 to 1994, assuming a crucial interim leadership role during that period.

Shehu held the positions of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Bayero University, Kano, from 1993 to 1996.

Subsequently, from 1996 to 1999, he served as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at the University of Lagos.

In these roles, he played a crucial role in the governance and strategic direction of the respective universities.

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