Honorific Prefix: | Chief |
Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi | |
Office1: | Minister of Health |
Term Start1: | 1960 |
Term End1: | 1966 |
Office2: | Administrator of Western Region (Nigeria) |
Term Start2: | 29 June 1962 |
Term End2: | December 1962 |
Predecessor2: | Samuel Akintola |
Successor2: | Samuel Akintola |
Birth Date: | 1916 8, df=yes |
Birth Place: | Abeokuta, Nigeria |
Chief Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi (Yoruba: Adékóyèjọ Májẹ̀kódùnmí, ; 17 August 1916 - 11 April 2012[1] [2]) was a Nigerian gynaecologist and obstetrician. He was Minister of Health in the Nigerian First Republic.
As an Oloye of the Yoruba people, he held the chieftaincy titles of the Mayegun of Lagos and the Otun Balogun of the Christians of Egbaland.
Majekodunmi was born in Abeokuta in August 1916. He studied at Abeokuta Grammar School, St. Gregory's College, Lagos, before proceeding to Trinity College Dublin where he earned a degree in Anatomy and Physiology in 1936. He also earned a 1st Class degree in Bacteriology and Clinical Medicine in 1940.[3] [4]
In Ireland, he worked as an in-house physician at the National Children's Hospital and the Rotunda Hospital from 1941 to 1942. In 1943, he joined the Federal Government Medical Services as a medical doctor and established his medical practice.[3] He played key roles in the establishment of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital[5] and also founded Saint Nicholas Hospital in Lagos, which opened in March 1968.[6]
He was elected into the Nigerian Senate in 1960. He was appointed sole administrator of the Western Region in June 1962 after a political crisis in the region, holding office in place of Premier Samuel Akintola until December of that year.[7]
The crisis was due to a struggle between Akintola and the former Western Region Premier and current leader of the opposition Obafemi Awolowo, which had led to violent scenes in the House of Assembly.On advice from the police, one of his first acts was to sign restriction orders to detain leaders of both factions.[7] After the situation had stabilized, Akintola resumed office on 1 January 1963.[8]