Samuel Manuwa

Samuel Manuwa was born in 1903. He attended King’s College, Lagos, Nigeria, before studying at the University of Edinburgh where he qualified in medicine and chemistry 1926. He won every prize available at the medical school, including the Wellcome Prize in Medicine and the Robert Wilson Memorial Prize in Chemistry. He continued his studies at the University of Liverpool, completing a course on tropical diseases.

On returning to Nigeria he worked as a surgeon where he was greatly respected for his work including inventing a knife for tropical ulcers.

He turned down numerous approaches for administrative positions, preferring to work directly with patients. Finally, in 1948 he accepted a role as deputy director of medical services in Nigeria. Following that, his roles included Inspector-General of Medical Services, chief medical adviser to the Federal Government of Nigeria, member of the Privy Council of the Federation of Nigeria, president of the Association of Surgeons and Physicians in West Africa, and public service commissioner and president of the World Federation for Mental Health.

While Inspector General of Medical Services, he worked tirelessly for the establishment of a university teaching hospital in the country, resulting in the creation of University College Hospital, Ibadan. He also served as the pro-chancellor and chairman of the University Council of the University of Ibadan for very many years. 

Samuel served as a Nigerian aristocrat, too, holding the chieftaincy title of the Obadugba on the Ondo clan, the Olowa Luwagboye of the Ijebu clan and the Iyasere of the Iteba lineage, all in the southwest region of Nigeria.