Nigeria’s first female Major General, Aderonke Kale, dies at 84
Nigeria is mourning the passing of Major General Aderonke Kale, the country’s first female Major General in the army, who passed away in London at the age of 84.
The news of her demise was confirmed by Ambassador E. O. Okafor, the National President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI), who expressed deep sorrow on behalf of the national executive committee and the entire AANI family.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 9th, Okafor conveyed his sincere condolences to the late Major General Kale’s family, AANI members, and the entire nation, describing her passing as an “irreparable loss.”
The statement added that the burial arrangements would be announced by the family.
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“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,” the statement read, as relayed by the group’s national publicity secretary, Brigadier General S. K. Usman (rtd).
Born in 1939, Kale studied medicine at the University of Ibadan before specializing in psychiatry at the University of London.
She joined the Nigerian Army in 1972 and served in various positions, including the Director of Army Public Relations, the first female Commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, and becoming the first female general in 1990.
Her contributions to the Nigerian Army were meaningful and groundbreaking.
She retired from the Army in 1997 and was married to Professor Oladele Kale, a prominent preventive and social medicine professor, and was the mother of five sons, including Yemi Kale, who later served as the Statistician-General of Nigeria.
Her achievements and dedication to service led to the naming of the female hall of residence at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) after her in 2011.