At the age of 84, Major-General Aderonke Kale, Nigeria’s pioneering female Major-General, has passed away, confirmed by E. O. Okafor, President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute.
E. O. Okafor acknowledged Major-General Kale’s groundbreaking contributions and expressed the nation’s enduring gratitude for her impressive legacy.
A statement from AANI paid tribute to her, recognizing her as a trailblazer in both medical and military domains, stating, “AANI and indeed the nation will continue to remember the remarkable legacy of the iconic Major General Aderonke Kale (rtd) mni, who had been a trailblazer in Nigeria’s medical and military history. May her gentle soul continue to rest in peace, Amen.”
Trained as a medical doctor at the University of Ibadan, Major-General Kale specialized in psychiatry at the University of London. Born on July 31, 1939, she returned to Nigeria in 1971 after working briefly in Britain.
Rising through the ranks, she became a colonel and deputy commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps by 1990, initially serving as the chief psychiatrist. Later, she held the positions of Director of the Nigerian Medical Corps and Chief Medical Officer until 1996.
Promoted to Major-General in 1994, Aderonke Kale retired from the army in 1997. Married to Oladele Kale, a professor of preventive and social medicine, she was the mother of five sons, including Yemi Kale, former Statistician-General of Nigeria.
