It is a year since we lost a sister, friend, mother, and colleague at the University of Ibadan. Dr. Afusat Jagun-Jubril transited this world on 20 June , 2022.
Undoubtedly, we are creatures of Allah, and unto Him, we shall return. When the time comes, every soul will experience death. It makes no difference how old or young someone is. Running from that reality is not an option!
The sudden death of Dr. Jagun-Jubril at a young age was a traumatic experience for all of us. In all the places where they had the benefit of her services, she impacted positively. At the UI Research Cafe where we both served, she was noted for her bluntness and passion for excellence. Even if you didn’t agree with her opinions, you could always tell she was sincere because of the conviction in her voice.
The enormous turnout for her funeral and eulogies revealed the kind of person she was.
Jagun-Jubril was a lecturer at the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She was also a Registrar at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the same University. She held a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, and an MVSc and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Pathology (Clinical Pathology) from the University of Ibadan. She was building a research profile in Clinical Pathology and Ecotoxicology as an extension of her doctoral research. She was actively involved in experimental and field research. Dr. Jubril had over 30 published and presented scientific papers and projects. She attended and presented at several local and international conferences on different continents. She had to her credit, several travels, training grant awards, and fellowships. A recent grant was the CRDF Global Bio-risk Management Enhancement grant for Biosafety and Biorisk Management training aimed at boosting the competence of Nigerian researchers which she executed in 2016.
Dr. Jubril was a reviewer for several local journals which included (but are not limited to) Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Science, Nigeria Veterinary Journal, Tropical Veterinarian, and Journal of Agriculture, Technology and Environment.
She served as a member of various veterinary medical and scientific societies and was the past Financial Secretary of the local chapter of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Oyo State, Nigeria. She also served on several committees in her Faculty and the University.
At the time of her death, she was a Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement (CIRCLE) post-doctoral candidate of the Africa Academy of Science at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, where she was undertaking one-year research on the “Assessment of the pathological effects on tilapia caused by endocrine-disrupting chemical and global warming effects in Lake Naivasha.”
Her areas of interest were Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary Medicine, Clinical Pathology, and Ecotoxicology.
May Allah recognise her innumerable good deeds, overlook her flaws, and have mercy on her soul. May He also bring us all together in Aljanah Firdaus. Aamin.
Olatunji Oladejo
Director, Ibadan University Press (Publishing House)