PROF UMARU SHEHU :
Abstract:
Professor Umaru Shehu is a Nigerian Professor of
Medicine and former Vice Chancellor of the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is a Professor
Emeritus, Community health, University of
Maiduguri and former President of the Nigerian
Academy of Science. Professor Umaru received a
Bachelor of Medicine degree, MBBS from the
University of London. He also received a
fellowship of the Institute of Cancer Research and
he is the editor-in-chief of the British Medical
Journal.
Full History:
Professor Umaru Shehu was born on December 8,
1930 in Maiduguri, Nigeria. He attended
Elementary School, Maiduguri 1935-1940; Middle
School, Maiduguri 1941-1943; Kaduna College,
Kaduna 1944-1947; University College Ibadan
1948-1953; and was at the University of Liverpool
between 1953-1956, and 1966-1967. Professor
Shehu holds MBBS (London), IRCF (London),
MRCS (England), DPH (Liverpool), FMCPH,
MFCM, FFCM (UK), FFCM (Nigeria), FAS, FWACP,
DFMC (Nigeria).
Professor Shehu started working as a Pre-
registration House Surgeon, Southport Infirmary,
United Kingdom in 1957. He came back to the
Government of Northern Nigeria as Pre-registratio
n House Physician that same year, and was
promoted Medical Officer 1957-1963; Senior
Medical Officer 1963-1965; Principal Medical
Officer 1965-1966; Assistant Chief Medical Officer
1966-1967; Chief Medical Officer (Preventive
Services Division) 1967-1968.
Professor Shehu was then redeployed to North-
Eastern State as Permanent Secretary of the
Ministry of Health and Chief Medical Officer, an
offer he declined only to move on to Ahmadu
Bello University to take up appointment as Reader
and Acting Head of Department of Community
Medicine 1968-1970; Deputy Dean, Faculty of
Medicine 1968-1970; Acting Director, Institute of
Health 1969-1970; Professor of Community
Medicine 1970; Head of Department of
Community Medicine 1970-1978; Director,
Institute of Health 1970-1977; Deputy Vice
Chancellor 1975-1976; Pro Vice Chancellor
(Academic) 1977-1978.Professor Shehu held
visiting professorships in various universities,
including the School of Medicine, University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA 1976-1977.
He was appointed Vice Chancellor, University of
Nigeria, Nsukka 1978-1980. He also worked with
the World Health Organization as Short Term
Consultant (Working Group on Health Services
and Manpower Development Mechanism) in
Geneva, September 1970; Appointed Temporary
Adviser, October 1970; Short Term Consultant,
1971-1973; Consultant (Technical Discussions),
24th WHO Regional Committee for Africa 1974;
National WHO Program Coordinator/
Representative in Nigeria 1980-1985; Director,
WHO Sub-Regional Health Development Office
111, 1985-1989; WHO Representative to Ethiopia,
1990.At the University of Maiduguri, Professor
Shehu was appointed Honorary Consultant
Physician since 1991 to date, and became
Professor Emeritus in 2000.
He was also the Provost of the College of Medical
Sciences 1991-1993; and Sole Administrator of
the University of Maiduguri 1993-1994. At the
University College Hospital Ibadan, he was the
Chairman, Board of Management 1991-1994. At
Bayero University, Kano, he was Pro-Chancellor
and Chairman Governing Council 1993-1996, and
also Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing
Council of the University of Lagos 1996-1999.He
has held memberships and offices in several
committees, councils, panels and commissions at
both national and international levels.
He was President of Medical Schools in Africa
1973-1975; and External Examiner in Public
Health at the University of Ghana Medical School.
He is the current Chairman Board of Governors of
the STOPAIDS organization; Chairman Governing
Board of the National Agency for the Control of
AIDS (NACA); Patron Guild of Medical Directors;
Patron Nationwide Network for Health; Patron
Nigerian Medical Forum of Great Britain and
Ireland; Patron Nigerian Institute of Stress;
Trustee National Foundation on VVF; Member
Board of Trustees, Nigerian Tuberculosis and
Leprosy Association; Member Editorial Board,
West African Medical Journal; Consulting Editor,
the Nigerian Medical Practitioner; Editorial
Adviser, the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical
Journal; Joint Editor-in-Chief, British Medical
Journal (West Africa) Edition.
Apart from holding active memberships of
Professional bodies as the Nigerian Medical
Association, The Society of Health (Nigeria),
Science Association of Nigeria, Association of
Community Physicians of Nigeria, and the
Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Shehu is
also a Foundation Fellow of the National
Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria;
Foundation Fellow of the West African College of
Physicians; Foundation Fellow of the Nigerian
Academy of Science; and Foundation Fellow of
the Faculty of Community Medicine (Nigeria).
Professor Umaru Shehu is mentioned in Who is
Who in the world; Men of Achievement; Dictionary
of International Biography; Africa Year Book 1977
—Who is Who in Africa; Who is Who in Nigeria;
and A Dictionary of African Biography.
He holds Honorary Doctor of Science Degrees of
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka. In 1979, the Government of
Nigeria awarded him the Commander of the Order
of the Niger (CON), and in 2000 he was awarded
the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
He is married with children.