Professor Abayomi Okanlawon has retired from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after 44 years of service in anatomy, with academics and university leaders praising his contributions to scholarship, mentorship and institutional development.

Okanlawon, who retired at 70, was honoured at a valedictory symposium and retirement ceremony held at the Old Great Hall of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), where colleagues described him as a mentor who helped shape generations of anatomists and scholars.

The symposium, themed “Beyond Anatomy: Custodian of Memory, Maker of Scholars, Builder of Institutions,” brought together the UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola; former Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe; Provost of CMUL, Prof. Ademola Oremosu; and Professor Oladapo Ashiru, among other academics and dignitaries.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abraham Osinubi, Dean of the UNILAG School of Postgraduate Studies, said Okanlawon’s greatest contribution extended beyond his academic publications to the people and institutions he helped develop.

Osinubi said the retired professor demonstrated that academic excellence should also be measured by mentorship, institutional continuity and the ability to equip others to achieve greater accomplishments.

He described Okanlawon as an academic whose influence would remain even after leaving active service, noting that his legacy was reflected in the scholars he trained and empowered.

According to him, Okanlawon should be regarded as a “developmental supervisor” because of the extent to which he invested in the growth of his students and younger academics.

He said the professor’s legacy demonstrated that the most enduring contribution an academic could make was to “build people and not just buildings.”

Ogunsola, in her tribute, praised Okanlawon for combining his expertise in anatomy with a deep interest in history and the preservation of the university’s institutional memory.

She described him as a “historian anatomist” and encouraged him to continue documenting history through writing despite his retirement.

The Vice-Chancellor said his career exemplified the importance of service, mentorship and continuity in strengthening academic institutions.

The Head of the Department of Anatomy, Prof. Olufunke Dosumu, also highlighted Okanlawon’s influence on younger academics, recalling that he helped her publish her first scholarly work after she became a postgraduate student in 1999.

She said his contributions extended to areas including reproductive biology, endocrinology and stereology, adding that scholars who benefited from his mentorship had continued to advance research in those fields.

Similarly, Oremosu said CMUL would miss Okanlawon’s extensive experience, institutional knowledge and commitment to mentoring younger academics.

Prof. Stella Gbotolorun of the Department of Anatomy described the retired don as a dependable mentor and a repository of UNILAG’s history, saying he consistently supported younger researchers and contributed to the advancement of anatomy in Nigeria.

Reflecting on his career, Okanlawon attributed his achievements to the mentors who guided him throughout his professional journey, particularly Prof. Oladapo Ashiru.

He said Ashiru encouraged him to broaden his exposure beyond the Idi-Araba campus and become familiar with the wider university community, an experience he said helped shape his academic career.

Okanlawon also credited the late former UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, with teaching him humility and reinforcing the importance of learning from others.

He urged people to extend the opportunities and support they receive to others, saying the practice would allow knowledge, mentorship and success to pass from one generation to another.

Okanlawon traced his passion for anatomy to his undergraduate years, when he graduated with distinction in the discipline in 1977.

He said he began teaching anatomy to junior students the following year as a student demonstrator because of a shortage of lecturers in the department.

According to him, he taught students from his third to fifth year and was paid N6 per hour by the College of Medicine.

After completing his youth service at the college, he joined the anatomy profession and has taught the subject since 1982.