Profile of Professor Afolabi Lesi - Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos

He was born in Lagos and attended primary and secondary schools in Lagos and Dublin, Ireland. He obtained his MBBS degree at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria in 1984 and completed his postgraduate training at the same affiliated teaching institution, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), obtaining the FWACP (Paed.) in 1994. He bagged a MSc with Distinction in 1997 at the University College London. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London and also an International Adviser to the Royal College of Physicians. He has spent the past 29 years actively involved in training undergraduate medical and dental students as well as students across all health disciplines. Additionally, he has been actively involved in postgraduate training and supervision as well as mentorship of junior academic staff. To his credit, most of his mentees are now in positions of professional and academic leadership today.

His administrative experiences include: Secretary of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Secretary-General West African College of Physicians, Chairman Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, LUTH Branch, Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee LUTH and Acting Head of Department, Paediatrics. He is the immediate past Dean Faculty of Clinical Sciences (the largest in the College and one of the biggest in the University with 13 departments and 170 academic staff). In all these positions, he demonstrated team work, innovation, integrity and left them better and stronger than previous administration. He has actively sought to improve standards of teaching and practice through his involvement with curriculum development at the undergraduate and the postgraduate levels. He assumed the Provostship of the College of Medicine on the 1st January 2017. He has over 45 publications and books in reputable local and foreign peer reviewed journals and delivered 20 papers and keynote addresses at local and international conferences. He has personally supervised at least 16 Fellowship and 2 PhD theses/dissertations and contributed significantly to at least 20 others.

Professor Lesi is a member of a number of professional associations including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria. He is also an international member of the American Academy of Paediatrics and the International Society for Autism Research.

He is happily married to Professor Olufunmilayo Lesi, Professor of Medicine and Consultant Gastroenterologist and they are blessed with children.