Samuel Manuwa

Oloye Sir Samuel Manuwa was born to the family of the Reverend Benjamin Manuwa, a Christian minister who was himself the son of Oba Kuheyin, the king of Itebu - Manuwa. His mother was Mrs. Matilda Aderinsola Manuwa, who hailed from the Thomas family of Ondo town.

He attended the Church Missionary School, Lagos, and King's College, Lagos, for secondary education, completing his studies in 1921. He then proceeded to study at the University of Edinburgh, where he received a bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Medicine in 1926. He graduated with several awards, winning every prize available in the medical school, including the Robert Wilson Memorial Prize in Chemistry and the Welcome Prize in Medicine. He later went to study in Liverpool, and completed a course on Tropical Medicine. He became a medical doctor in 1926.

He returned to Nigeria in 1927 after finishing his studies on tropical medicine and joined the colonial medical services as a medical officer. He subsequently became a surgeon specialist and senior specialist in the service, where he gained acclaim as a skilled surgeon. Though he received various offers for administrative positions early on, he continued his surgical work for more than 18 years. While practising as a surgeon, he invented an excision knife to treat tropical ulcers.[3]

In 1948, he lifted his embargo on administrative positions when he became the deputy director of medical services. In 1951, he was made the first Nigerian director of medical services and subsequently the Inspector General of medical services. In 1954, he became fully involved with the Nigerian public service when he was appointed the Chief Medical Adviser to the federal government of Nigeria. He later went on to become a member of the Privy Council of the Federation of Nigeria, President of the Association of Surgeons and Physicians in West Africa and the first Nigerian Commissioner of the Federal Public Service Commission.[4]

As Inspector General of Medical Services, he worked assiduously for the establishment of a University Teaching Hospital in the country. The result was the creation of UCH, Ibadan.

Sir Samuel was twice married and had six children, all of whom are now distinguished in various professions including medicine, law, nursing, education and the public service both of Nigeria and the UK.

He had several grandchildren who work in professions as varied as medicine, information technology, education, law, publishing, the dramatic arts, sports, economics, banking and finance. One of them, Jimi Manuwa, is a UFC champion fighter based in the UK.