-1).The first Nigerian Medical Doctor was Nathaniel Thomas King. His father was Rev Thomas King who assisted Bishop Ajayi Crowder in translating the Bible to Yoruba language. Dr King lived from 1847 to 1884.

The Yoruba language is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native speakers in the world, 50 million people speak Yoruba language natively in 2022 according to Ethnologue.

-2). The first Nigerian Lawyer was Chief Sapara Williams. A Yoruba man who became a Lawyer in 1879. He was the Lodifi of Ilesa.

-3). WNTV Ibadan was the first TV station in Nigeria and Africa. The first broadcast was aired on October 31, 1959. The government of Yorubaland were visionary enough ensuring their denizens had access to mass audiovisual media before countries like; Egypt: 1960, New Zealand: 1960, Israel: 1966 & South Africa: 1976. [/b]The station played a significant role in beaming taped Yoruba traveling theatre productions to households all over the old Western region.

[b]-4). The first Nigerian to release a music album was Canon Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti, Fela Anikulapo’s grandfather and Wole Soyinka’s great grandfather. He released it in 1878 and his last album was released in August 1921. His works are still kept at the British Museum.

-5). In 1894, Olayinka Herbert Macaulay became the first trained Nigerian Engineer. He also trained in England as an Architect. He was a Civil Engineer. He later ventured into politics and formed the first political party in Nigeria, Nigeria National Democratic Party, NNDP in 1923 and later the NCNC, the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons. He was also a Journalist and a Surveyor. He is widely considered as the founder of Nigerian Nationalism.

-6). The first Nigerian woman to qualify and practice law was Stella Thomas, a Yoruba woman who became a Lawyer in 1935 and also became the first female magistrate in Nigeria in 1943.

-7). Dr Elizabeth Abimbola Awoliyi nee Akerele was the first female physician in Nigeria. She became a Medical Doctor in 1910.

-8 ). Folake Solanke was the first female Senior Advocate in Nigeria. She was also the first Nigerian female lawyer to wear the silk gown as Senior Counsel.

-9). The first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria was Sir Adetokunbo Ademola. He was also the longest serving Chief Justice of Nigeria between 1958 and 1972.

-10). The Yoruba language and culture is one of the most influential on the African continent and in the Americas. The Yoruba are also one of the best researched ethnicities in Africa.

-11). Chief Akintola Williams was the first Chattered Accountant in Nigeria who qualified in 1919 and also the first Nigerian to form a private accounting firm, Akintola Williams and Co in 1952.

-12). The first woman to drive a car in Nigeria was Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the mother of Olikoye, Fela and Beko.

-13). The Yoruba people have the highest spontaneous rate of twin births in the world- About 1 in 20 births. Twins were traditionally revered and highly sought after in Yoruba society. There is an Orisha that protects them.

-14). Emmanuel Olatunde Odeku (born, Emanuel Olatunde Alaba Olanrewaju Odeku from Awe in Oyo state 1927, Lagos, Nigeria – died, London, 1974) was the first African neurosurgeon trained in the United States who also pioneered neurosurgery in Africa.

-15). Chief Hubert Adedeji Ogunde and Moses Olaiya are regarded as the patriarchs of Nigerian theatre and movie industry. Ogunde was an actor, playwright, theatre manager, and musician who founded the first contemporary professional theatrical company in Nigeria, the African Music Research Party, in 1945.

-16). The first bank in Nigeria was established in Lagos in 1894, 10 years before the amalgamation. Its second branch was opened in Calabar in 1912 and it was facilitated by King Jaja of Opobo. It had its first northern branch in Zaria. It is First Bank Nigeria.

The Yoruba homeland, based majorly in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, is home to more than 70% of Nigeria's industrial capacity and is also host to the backbone of Nigeria's entertainment industry.

-17). In 1986, Professor Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, the great grandson of Canon Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti became the first African to win a Nobel Laureate in the field of Literature.

-18). In 1976, Shooting Stars Sports Club 3SC of Ibadan formerly known as WNDC Ibadan (Western Nigeria Development Company), and were later called IICC (Industrial Investment and Credit Corporation) won the African Winners’ Cup thereby becoming the first Nigerian club side to win continental honour for Nigeria.

-19). The first Nigerian to score a World Cup goal was Rashidi Yekini. He was a Yoruba man from Kwara state. He scored it against Bulgaria at USA ‘94.

-20). The area of Yorubaland covers approximately 145,000 Suare Kilometre of land. Were it to be an independent country, it would be physically bigger than Greece, Hungary, Serbia, South Korea, Portugal, Ireland, Sierra Leone and many more countries.

-21). The first television station in Africa was the Western Nigerian Television Service located in Ibadan’s and established in 1959.

-22). The first university in Nigeria is University of Ibadan. Today, the Southwestern part of Nigeria also has the highest number of private universities in Nigeria.

-23). The Yoruba are a people with a historical propensity for living in large urban centres. Yoruba cities have always been among the most populous in Africa. Today, around 11.5% of all West Africans are ethnic Yoruba while Yorubaland contains more than 30% of all Nigerian cities with over 100,000 people. They have been described as the most Urban African ethnic group by various ethnologists, sociologists and anthropologic writers.

-24). CMS Grammar School, Lagos is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria. It was established in 1859.

-25). And the first known primary school in Nigeria was Nursery of the Infant Church established in 1843 in Badagry and moved to its permanent site and renamed St Thomas Primary School in 1845.

Igbara-Oke, Ondo State born Prof Sophie Oluwole (originally from Edo state), was the first woman to earn a doctorate in Philosophy in Nigeria.

She studied History, Geography, and Philosophy at UNILAG after which she was employed as an Assistant Lecturer in 1972. She earned her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan.

She taught African Philosophy at UNILAG and focused on the Yoruba school of philosophical thought that discussed the cultural and religious beliefs of Yoruba land. She retired from the Department of History of the university 18 years ago.

She produced several books on philosophy including Ifa and Orunmila which aimed at correcting the Western philosophies on Africans.

The late philosopher; popularly called Mamalawo (female native doctor) was recognized for her activism for women in philosophy and education. Prof Oluwole died in her home in Ibafo, Ogun State. She was 83.

President Bola Tinubu has eulogised the first female Professor of Yoruba Studies in the world, Prof Omotayo Olutoye, for her important contributions to the Yoruba language, culture, and tradition.

In a statement issued on Monday by Dele Alake, his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, President Tinubu said Omotayo’s works and seminar interventions helped deepen the knowledge and understanding of the Yoruba language.

Prof Olutoye, who died recently at 87, was the wife of Major General Olufemi Olutoye (retd), the Alani of Idoani, in Ondo State, and mother of renowned surgeon and pediatrician, Prof Olurotimi Olutoye.[/b]She was also the Yeyeluwa of Idoani in Ose Local Government Area of the state.

The President said: “Prof Omotayo Olutoye, who died recently at 87, made useful contributions to Nigeria and the Yoruba race, particularly to Yoruba language, culture, and tradition.

[b]As the first female Professor of Yoruba Studies in the world, her works and interventions helped a great deal in spreading and deepening the knowledge and understanding of the Yoruba Language. “Her works have kept the Yoruba language alive and flourishing. Prof Omotayo Olutoye has etched her name in our memory, and this will remain indelible.

“Importantly, a staunch member of the Anglican Communion, Prof Olutoye also made invaluable contributions to Nigeria by giving us the renowned surgeon and paediatrician, Prof Olurotimi Olutoye.

I offer my sympathy and condolences to her husband and patriarch of the family, Major General Olufemi Olutoye (retd), the Alani of Idoani, the entire Olutoye family, and Ondo State Governor Oluwarotili Akeredolu, for the loss of the illustrious woman. May Nigeria be blessed with many of the ilk of Prof Olutoye. May she find comfort in the bosom of the Lord.”

-1).The first Nigerian Medical Doctor was Nathaniel Thomas King. His father was Rev Thomas King who assisted Bishop Ajayi Crowder in translating the Bible to Yoruba language. Dr King lived from 1847 to 1884.

-2). The first Nigerian Lawyer was Chief Sapara Williams. A Yoruba man who became a Lawyer in 1879. He was the Lodifi of Ilesa.

-24). CMS Grammar School, Lagos is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria. It was established in 1859.

-25). And the first known primary school in Nigeria was Nursery of the Infant Church established in 1843 in Badagry and moved to its permanent site and renamed St Thomas Primary School in 1845

Prof Olutoye, who died recently at 87, was the wife of Major General Olufemi Olutoye (retd), the Alani of Idoani, in Ondo State, 

You were in the army when the first coup happened in Nigeria. Can you tell us your experience?

I hope that I will have time to write more about that coup but I am doing something on it right now. The coup was led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. He was a Major in rank and of course, I was a Major then too but I was his senior. So I knew about that coup.

I can say that now but I could not say that then because, in the army, the mere knowledge of a coup is a problem. We were together in India. So, he informed me about it and I enquired more on how he hoped to carry out the plot.

Was he the one that personally approached you to inform you about the plan?

Yes, he personally came to inform me about it in 1964 when we were in India and the coup was carried out in 1966. There are few other things that happened which we cannot say now until the time is ripe.

The coup seemed to have been targeted at military officers from a particular part of Nigeria and it was also tagged, ‘Igbo Coup’. Why?

It later turned out to be so, although all the six majors who plotted it were Igbos except one Major Adewale Adegboyega from Remo, Ogun State. I want to assure you that, that was not Nzeogwu’s intention.

As I told you, the coup was planned as far back as 1964. Maybe between 1964 and end of 1965, he changed his mind. I can’t say why he did so but those that showed interest in the coup turned out to be Igbos.

Even his utterances when the coup took place on January 15, 1966, showed that he didn’t mean it to be an Igbo affair but unfortunately, it turned out to be so that an Igbo man could also become the Head of State.

Did he tell you that he planned the coup to become the Head of State?

No. Infact what attracted me to Nzeogwu at the early stage when the coup was being planned was that I asked him if he was going to make himself the Head of State and he said no. He said he was going to bring a civilian who was more knowledgeable and who had what it took to make Nigeria great.

I then asked him who that person was and he said the man was in Calabar prison. I said is it Chief Obafemi Awolowo? He said yes. That was why I gave him my support but when he told me it was going to involve killings, I said no I was not interested again.

If the coup had been successful, do you think Nigeria would still be where we are today?

Because I happened to have known the whole genesis of the coup, my answer to that question is, Nigeria would have become a changed place now. Nigeria would have been one of the top countries in the world today.

When he informed me about the plan when we were in India, I brought him to my room and asked many questions. I asked him why he wanted to do such a thing, what he hoped to achieve and he made some very good points.

I then said let me help you write out some things. I wrote some of the papers for him because I was more knowledgeable than a some of them. Like I said earlier, he was my junior, though we wore the same rank. I was older and more educated than he was. Our plan for education then was superb, same thing for industrialisation and other good plans for the country.

"People were told that it was an Igbo coup but that is not correct. It is a very interesting part of the Nigerian story. In the first place, there have been many serious lies that have been told by our leaders in the last 45 years of Nigeria's history. Our leaders have not been bold enough to tell us the truth...the plan of the coup makers was to release Awolowo from jail and make him their own leader."
Odia Ofeimun, former Secretary to Obafemi Awolowo in Guardian Newspapers Sunday May 6, 2007.

“There was no intention on Chukwuma’s part, to collude or conspire with Ibo officers in the army and with Ibo politicians and academics, to lead a coup for the purpose of ensuring the political leadership of Nigeria by Ibos. No doubt, Ibos and non-Ibos, gave a sigh of relief when the coup took place.”

Olusegun Obasanjo in his book “Nzeogwu” page 107 published January 1987(Spectrum Books Limited Ibadan, Nigeria).

Racoon:
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TH𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐘
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President Tinubu eulogises first female Professor of Yoruba Studies
https://dailypost.ng/2023/07/24/president-tinubu-eulogises-first-female-professor-of-yoruba-studies/

Occurstaem:
You have just derailed your own thread.

-14). Emmanuel Olatunde Odeku (born, Emanuel Olatunde Alaba Olanrewaju Odeku from Awe in Oyo state 1927, Lagos, Nigeria – died, London, 1974) was the first African neurosurgeon trained in the United States who also pioneered neurosurgery in Africa.