Major-General (Dr.) Aderonke Kale (31 July 1939-8 November 2023), was a Nigerian psychiatrist and military officer who made history as the first woman to attain the rank of Major-General in the Nigerian Army. She also became the first woman to command a military hospital in Nigeria and the first female Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps.
ADERONKE KALE PROFILE
| Name | Aderonke Kale |
| Real Name | Aderonke Kale |
| Date Of Birth | 31 July 1939 |
| Date Of Death | 8 November 2023 |
| State Of Origin | Ogun State |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Psychiatrist and Military Officer |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Religion | Christian |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Copied From | Contents101.com |
ADERONKE KALE BIOGRAPHY
Aderonke Kale was born on July 31, 1939, into a family that valued education. Her father was a pharmacist, while her mother was a teacher. She spent part of her childhood in Lagos and Zaria before completing her secondary education in southwestern Nigeria.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
She attended St. Anne’s School, Ibadan, and later Abeokuta Grammar School. Kale studied Medicine at University College, Ibadan, which later became the University of Ibadan, where she obtained her medical qualification. She subsequently travelled to the United Kingdom and specialised in psychiatry at the University of London. She was inspired to pursue psychiatry by Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo, a pioneering Nigerian psychiatrist and Africa’s first professor of psychiatry.
CAREER
After working briefly in Britain, Kale returned to Nigeria in 1971. In 1972, she joined the Nigerian Army as a medical officer, making the unusual transition from civilian medicine into the military. Her psychiatric expertise was particularly relevant to the psychological needs of military personnel. She rose steadily through the military ranks and became a consultant psychiatrist and later chief consultant. In 1983, she became the first woman to command a military hospital in Nigeria when she was appointed Commanding Officer of the Military Hospital, Ibadan. She subsequently commanded military hospitals in Enugu and Benin.
In 1990, Kale was promoted to Brigadier-General, becoming the first female general in Nigeria and West Africa. In 1994, she was promoted to Major-General, becoming the first Nigerian woman to achieve the rank. That same year, she became the first female Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps (NAMC). In that position, she was responsible for overseeing healthcare services for Nigerian Army personnel. She retired from the military in 1997. In 2011, a female residence at the Nigerian Defence Academy was named after her.
CONTROVERSIES
There are no major, well-documented controversies associated with Aderonke Kale.
PERSONAL LIFE
Aderonke Kale was married to Professor Oladele Kale, a professor of preventive and social medicine. They had five children. One of their children, Yemi Kale, became Nigeria’s Statistician-General and served as head of the National Bureau of Statistics from 2011 to 2021. Kale was also involved in community and philanthropic activities. She reportedly contributed land toward the establishment of Bodija-Ashi Baptist Church in Ibadan.
ADERONKE KALE NET WORTH
Aderonke Kale’s exact net worth was not publicly disclosed.
DEATH
Aderonke Kale died on November 8, 2023, at the age of 84. Following her death, President Bola Tinubu described her as a pioneer and a major figure in the history of Nigerian women and medicine.