University of Ibadan (UI) 565th Inaugural Lecture Calls for Enhanced Resources for Haematology in Nigeria
Professor John Ayodele Olaniyi, a distinguished Haematologist from the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences at the University of Ibadan, delivered the institution's 565th Inaugural Lecture, entitled "Blood Cells Eccentricity: Looking Out and Looking After the Afflicted," urging increased investment in haematology resources across Nigerian healthcare.
UBA CHIDINMA 
Professor John Ayodele Olaniyi, a distinguished Haematologist from the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences at the University of Ibadan, delivered the institution's 565th Inaugural Lecture, entitled "Blood Cells Eccentricity: Looking Out and Looking After the Afflicted," urging increased investment in haematology resources across Nigerian healthcare.
In his lecture, Professor Olaniyi highlighted the challenges facing haematology in Nigeria, emphasizing that advanced diagnostic tools and resources are critically lacking, hindering effective diagnosis and treatment. He noted that understanding the eccentricities of blood cells—often seen in conditions such as anaemias, thalassemia, polycythemia, leukaemias, and sickle cell disease—requires a sophisticated diagnostic infrastructure, which is rarely available in Nigerian hospitals.
“Determining the specific type of abnormal blood cells is complex, and many hospitals lack the necessary tools for accurate and personalized diagnosis,” Professor Olaniyi observed, advocating for urgent investment in diagnostic capabilities, including flow cytometry laboratories in tertiary healthcare facilities nationwide.
Professor Olaniyi further underscored the importance of newborn screening and genetic counseling, particularly for sickle cell disease, suggesting these as key strategies for informed health and marriage decisions. He emphasized that enhanced diagnostic technology with high specificity and sensitivity is essential for combating Nigeria's high prevalence of sickle cell and other blood-related diseases.
The lecture, which marked the fifteenth in the 2023/2024 academic session and the inaugural session for the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, reinforced the need for government and private sector involvement in advancing haematology practices. Professor Olaniyi's address served as a call to action for immediate resource allocation to improve patient outcomes for blood disorders in Nigeria.
