Tribute to Dr Hafsat Adunni Shittu

The Muna stampede that consumed so many lives at last year’s Hajj ritual on their way to the site of the devil stoning consumed the life of one Nigeria’s scientist in the area of Pharmacology whose contribution and effort in providing succor to victims of diabetes and ulcer is unparrelled. That is Dr. Hafsat Adunni […]

The Muna stampede that consumed so many lives at last year’s Hajj ritual on their way to the site of the devil stoning consumed the life of one Nigeria’s scientist in the area of Pharmacology whose contribution and effort in providing succor to victims of diabetes and ulcer is unparrelled. That is Dr. Hafsat Adunni Shittu, she was on the Federal Government Hajj medical team to provide medical assistance as a pharmacist while performing the Hajj, an indigene of Niger State from Bida. Prof as she’s fondly called by friends and colleagues alike, share the same birthday with me August 21, not same year which cemented our closeness. I was introduced to her by her colleague and friend Mrs. Florence Tarfa of Nigerian Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Idu, Abuja where Hafsat also work. Dr. Hafsat Shittu was born on the 21st of August, 1965 in Bida, Niger State to the family of Late Alhaji Shittu Abdulsalam and Hajiya Raliyah Sadiq Shittu, she was the fourth of seven children.
Little Hafsat Shittu attended Ndazabo Primary School, Bida (1970 – 1977). Her academic brilliance gained her admission in the very competitive Federal Government Girl’s College, New Bussa in Niger State in 1978.  She was at Zungeru College of Advanced Studies (ZUNCAS), Bida, now Niger State, Polytechnic, Zungeru, for her Advanced Level Programme from 1982 to 1984.
She was admitted into ABU to study for a degree in Pharmacy where she graduated with the unclassified Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree in 1988. As the best graduating student in Pharmacology specifically in her entire class and in general, she was awarded three prizes for academic excellence: the Juli Pharmacy, the Andrew Egbo and the Dean’s Prizes.
Under her Lecturer, Supervisor, colleague and mentor Professor Helen O. K. Kwanshie, who also happen to be her supervisor for her (B. Pharm) – Pharmacy, she completed her (M. SC) Pharmacology with a thesis titled combined effects of malnutrition and Cimetidine on Hepatic Dry Oxidation in the Rat.
From 1988 -1989, she was an Intern Pharmacist at General Hospital Minna before proceeding for her NYSC as a Pharmacist, Military Hospital, 82 Division Enugu. Between 1989 to 1990, she was Assistant Lecturer, Dept. of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, ABU Zaria, at the same time pursuing her Masters Degree between 1991-1993, sponsored by the Federal Government Scholarship, which is a testament to her academic Excellence.
Her duties included teaching Pharmacology and demonstrating practicals to undergraduate Pharmacy and medical students; she was considered an excellent teacher. Hafsat’s excellence in pharmacology research started during her undergraduate project. She was part of a team that worked on the formulation of a local laboratory rodent feed which was comparable to the far more expensive commercial form, and was adjudged even better in some respects. The Pharmacology Department’s Animal House and other animal facilities in ABU adopted this formula for many years, and a variant is still in use to this day.
Hafsat’s M.Sc research project was also one of the best among her colleagues. In her thesis, she reported a synergistic inhibition of drug metabolism in the rat by protein energy malnutrition and the anti-ulcer drug; cimetidine with potential for significant clinical application in humans. Thus, during her eleven-year stay at ABU (1983 – 1993) as a student and a teacher, she has consistently displayed a high level of academic excellence.
In 1996, Hafsat applied and was selected as one of Nigerian ambassadors on the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps programme under Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abuja on her merit and performance at the selection interview due to her impressive performance before the panel, she was deployed to the Gambia between 1997 – 1999. 
In 2002, Hafsat was successful in her application for the highly sought after and very competitive Ford Foundation International Fellowships program (IFP) scholarship for a four years PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, during the Course of her doctoral program.
In addition, she was granted WHO/TDR Post-Doctoral Fellowship for training in high through-put drug discovery for neglected diseases (Collaborative program between the WHO/TDR, Novo Nordisk and the National Centre for Drug Screening, Shanghai, China), which attracts US $230,000 grant (2009 – 2010) while in 2011 she became visiting scientist, Natural Health Products and Metabolic Diseases Laboratory, Dept. of Pharmacology, of the   Faculty of Medicine, Universite de Montreal, Canada.
In Nigeria, Dr. Hafsat was a visiting Lecturer, Dept. of Pharmacology, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto from 2014 until her demise.
Dr. Hafsat, is a member of many National and International Associations and Society both academic and professional, it is also interesting to state here that over 10 publications were authorized or co-authored by her in her chosen field of pharmacology with her friend lecturer, supervisor, colleague and mentor Professor Helen O. K. Kwanashie and Professors Wambebe, Gamaniel, Gray and Forman of Strathclyde University Scotland and many other prominent international experts in the field of Pharmacology.
Late Hafsat Shittu, a Research fellow, Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development has served the institute and her fatherland for over 22years, won several laurels and grants for the Institute (NIPRD). One of the grants, which is the highest research grant the institute has received since its inception in 1987 is US $ 750,000 World Bank STEPB grant for the development of anti-diabetic phytomedicine from selected Nigerian Medicinal Plants in 2009 that was sourced by her. She was nominated to serve as the principal investigator of the project.
In recognition of Hafsat’s contribution to scientific research and development, she was granted the status of a visiting Professor at the National Health Products and Metabolic Diseases Laboratory Dept. of Medicine, Universite de Montreal, Canada in 2011.
We pray to Allah (S.W.T) to grant all the departed Aljannatul Firdausi, Amin.
Lukman  can be reached at: [email protected]