Titilola Obilade

Titilola Obilade attended the reception classes (as the Kindergarten was called then) of the University of Lagos and the University of Lagos Staff School (Primary School).[1] She won numerous prizes both in her secondary school and in her primary school. Titilola Obilade was also made the class captain in every class through primary and secondary schools. She was among the second set of students to attend the secondary school founded by the University of Lagos; The International School University of Lagos (ISL).[2] Titilola Obilade attended ISL from 1982 to 1987. She graduated from ISL with her streak of Firsts. In the West African School Leaving Certificate, Titilola Obilade obtained seven distinctions including A 1 in Additional Mathematics. At the age of 16, she obtained one of the highest scores in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Examinations (JAMB) to study medicine at the University of Lagos. Six years later, she became the first female graduate from International School (ISL) to become a medical doctor. Titilola Obilade performed her National Youth Service at the now defunct Nigeria Airways, treating staff and intending passengers.

During the next five years, Titilola Obilade became a resident medical doctor in the Department of Community Health at LUTH, obtaining her Fellowship in Public Health from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPH) and Membership from the West African College of Physicians from the Faculty of Community Health (Memb WACP). During her residency training, Titilola completed her Master's in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Lagos. Before completing her residency training, Titilola Obilade enrolled in her second Master's; Master's in International Law and Diplomacy at the University of Lagos. She achieved another First by being the first female medical doctor in Nigeria with a Fellowship in Public Health to obtain a double Master's in Public Health and in International Law and Diplomacy.

Titilola Obilade's dissertation focus for her fellowship was also a first for her study population in Lagos, Nigeria. Studies had been conducted on the Wesley School for the hearing-impaired but Titilola's comparative study on the cognitive function of the hearing-impaired students at Wesley School and main stream children from Onitolo Primary School using non-verbal tests was a first.[3] The results from her study showed that there was no difference in their cognitive functioning when compared with non-hearing-impaired students. Titilola Obilade also conducted a study on the Pacelli School for the blind, comparing their knowledge on malaria with students from Onitolo primary school ^[[4]]. The results from this study showed that students from Pacelli School for the Blind had better knowledge on malaria than students from the main stream school.

After completing her fellowship, Titilola Obilade was employed by the University of Lagos at the Institute of Child Health and Primary Care at the College of Medicine where she later became the head of the Maternal and Child Health Unit. In this capacity, Titilola Obilade taught final year medical and dental students as well as post-graduate students. One of the notable actions during Titilola Obilade's tenure as the head of the Maternal and Child Health Unit was in the rescue of 61 final year medical students. These medical students were on the required rural posting at Ijoko village in Ogun State, Nigeria. On the 26th of April, 2006, the medical students and their facilitators were attacked by a group of hoodlums. The students had been caught in the crossfire between the supporters of two opposing chiefs. Titilola Obilade mobilized Lagos public transport drivers and with the help of these drivers traveled to the warring regions and they were able to safely evacuate all the students. Some of the students and one of the facilitators sustained non-life-threatening injuries. In recognition of her bravery, she was given an award by the students.

In 2006, Titilola Obilade extended her scholarly pursuits to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where she obtained a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and a PhD in Instructional Design and Technology, now called Learning Sciences and Technologies. Once again, Titilola Obilade achieved another First for Nigeria. She became the first female medical doctor with a fellowship in Public Health to obtain a PhD from a non-medical specialty and the first medical doctor from Nigeria to obtain a PhD in Instructional Design and Technology.

Titilola Obilade has written journal articles and book chapters on the Ebola virus disease, the political economies of infectious diseases, distance education, human computer interaction and other educational technologies. In addition, she has written two textbooks:

• Make Me See It: Pedagogical Strategies in Visual Literacy, ISBN 978-1543270433[5]
• Dr. Titilola Obilade's Nigerian Recipe Cookbook: Africa's Simple Dishes. ISBN 978-1545090206[6]

Most of her works can be found in the Virginia Tech repository VTechWorks.[7]

• http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Atitilola++t+obilade&qt=results_page
• Official website