Mayowa Shatters Glass Ceiling as Nigeria’s First Female Professor of Veterinary Anatomy

In a landmark achievement that underscores the rising influence of women in Nigerian academia and the sciences, Professor Olumayowa Olawumi Igado of the University of Ibadan has been elevated to the rank of full professor, becoming the first woman in the nation’s history to attain that distinction in Veterinary Anatomy.

The trailblazing scholar, widely known as Mayowa, serves in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, where she also holds the position of Sub-Dean (Postgraduate). Her promotion marks another decisive crack in long-standing gender barriers within a traditionally male-dominated discipline.

A product of academic excellence from birth, Professor Igado was born in 1977 into a family deeply rooted in the University of Ibadan community. Her father, Professor Oluyemi Oladiran, is a retired Professor of Physics at the same institution; he registered the writer of an earlier tribute for Preliminary Physics in the very year she was born. Her mother, a retired Principal Assistant Registrar at the University of Ibadan and former administrator at The International School, University of Ibadan, completed a household steeped in scholarship and service.

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Professor Igado’s research focuses on comparative neuroanatomy and environmental neurotoxicology. She investigates how environmental pollutants, particularly heavy metals such as vanadium, affect the brain, and explores natural plant-based antidotes. Notable among her contributions is the isolation of MIMO2, a novel phenolic compound from Moringa oleifera leaves, which has shown protective effects against vanadium-induced cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Her work also spans morphometric studies of the Nigerian local dog, investigations into neuroprotective properties of kolaviron from Garcinia kola, and studies on various animal species ranging from goats and bats to wildlife.

Her scholarly output is reflected in publications in international journals, including Drug and Chemical Toxicology, IBRO Reports, Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, and others. She has received recognition through awards such as the IBRO-ARC Grant supporting laboratory visits abroad and is a full member of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).

Colleagues and mentors have long celebrated her intellect, diligence, and quiet determination. Former University of Ibadan Vice-Chancellor Professor Idowu Olayinka, in an earlier tribute, described her as “a chip off the old block” and affirmed that the university community has always been proud of her achievements.

Professor Igado’s elevation arrives at a time when Nigerian women continue to break new ground across veterinary medicine and the broader biomedical sciences. Her success joins a growing list of female firsts in specialised fields, inspiring a new generation of young women to pursue careers in research, teaching, and academic leadership.

Hearty congratulations are due to Professor Olumayowa Igado. In rising to the professorial rank, she has not only advanced her own distinguished career but has expanded the horizons of possibility for women in Nigerian higher education. Well done, Mayowa. The nation is proud.