Akinpelu Oludele Adesola was vice chancellor and formerly head of the department of surgery at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He was educated at Queen's University, Belfast, qualifying in 1956. He went on to hold several posts at the Royal Victoria Hospital, including house surgeon, house officer, senior house officer and surgical registrar. In 1961 he gained a masters degree in surgery. In 1962 he returned to Nigeria, where he had a successful academic career in surgery at the University of Lagos, becoming a senior lecturer, professor, head of the department of surgery and finally deputy vice chancellor. He then moved to the University of Ilorin, where he served as vice chancellor for three years, before returning to the University of Lagos as vice chancellor, a position he held until his retirement in 1988. He was much in demand as a visiting professor in the UK, USA and Canada, and was an external examiner in Nigeria, Ghana and England. His work for education in Nigeria and across the Commonwealth was recognised with many honours, including the Symons award for outstanding service, presented by the Association of Commonwealth Universities. He received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University in 1989. Akinpelu Oludele Adesola died on 29 May 2010, aged 82.