Tributes Flow as Prof. Oyinade Elebute is Laid to Rest – THISDAYLIVE

It was a solemn yet celebratory gathering at the Chapel of the Transfiguration, LUTH Idi-Araba, yesterday, as family, friends, colleagues, and associates bade farewell to the late Prof. Oyinade Wuraola Elebute, a pioneering scholar, medical leader, and mentor to generations.

Delivering the sermon, the Rector of the Chapel, Ven. Dr. Dade Sadare, described the late professor as a woman of unwavering faith whose life embodied integrity, prosperity, and service. Reflecting on Apostle Paul’s words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” Sadare urged the congregation to live purposefully and remain steadfast in times of trial.

“This chapel is not just walls of stone; it is a place of memory and transformation. Mama lived as a fighter, a woman of faith, and a source of light. The question we must ask ourselves today is: what will be said of our own lives when we finish our race?” he charged.

In her tribute, President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (Lagos branch), Dr. Funmilayo Ige, recalled Elebute’s towering legacy within the association and beyond. She noted that Prof. Elebute served as the second president of the University of Ibadan branch between 1979 and 1981, later becoming national president, and eventually chair of the Board of Trustees until 2023.

“Mama was a teacher, a mentor, and a healer. She carried the motto ‘healing with the love of a mother’ and lived it fully. Though many of us never worked directly with her, we have felt her impact through those she trained and mentored. We are all her great-grand mentees,” Ige said, as she placed a symbolic sash on the late professor’s casket.

Born on February 16, 1934, Prof. Elebute was one of the foundation members of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and later became Professor and Head of Physiology. Her distinguished career included international research fellowships, pioneering contributions to renal physiology, and co-founding Hygeia Nigeria Limited, operators of Lagoon Hospitals.

She was also a past national president of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), and a trustee of several educational and professional bodies.

Prof. Elebute is survived by her husband, Prof. Adeyemo Elebute, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The service, which featured hymns, scripture readings, and renditions by choirs and alumni associations, ended with a call to celebrate a life well lived.