The older sister of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Madam Tinuola Aina, has reportedly passed away at 90.

The family further stated that the funeral rites will commence with a service of songs on Thursday, December 7, in Lagos. These rites, scheduled to span over two days, will be concluded on Friday, December 8, culminating in a private interment in Lagos.

Born on April 29, 1933, Madam Aina was the eldest of seven children. Her parents were Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, a school teacher, and Grace Eniola Soyinka (neé Harrison), a trader-homemaker. The family lived at Ake Vicarage in Abeokuta.

Madam Tinuola Aina

Brief History Of Tinuola Aina

Reports revealed that Madam Tinuola began her education at St. Peter’s Primary School in the Vicarage and later attended Abeokuta Grammar School (AGS), Igbein. After completing her secondary education at AGS, she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse by travelling to England.

She was said to have achieved her SRN, SEN, and Queens Nurse qualifications at South Shield and worked in England for some time before returning to Nigeria in 1959. She then joined the Western Region at the Psychiatrist Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.

A few years later, she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Community Nursing from McGill University, Canada, and North Carolina University, USA, respectively. She continued her work for the Western Region, initially at Abeokuta and later at Akure General Hospital.

T.A. Aina later joined the Federal Government Service and began working at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). She steadily climbed the ranks and eventually became the Nursing and Midwifery School principal at LUTH in 1986, a position she held until her retirement in 1993.

Her exceptional track record is a testament to her dedication to the medical profession and her passion for training the next generation of nurses. After retiring, Mrs. Aina embarked on a new phase of her professional life and community involvement.

Shortly after retiring, she took the initiative to establish an advisory clinic at her church, The Christ King’s Church. She ran the clinic alongside two other retired nurses and church members, Mrs. Ajetumobi and Mrs. Olubi, both of whom have since passed away. Despite being located on church premises, the clinic is open to all members of the community, regardless of their faith or beliefs, and provides completely free services. Despite her frailty, she regularly attended the clinic until earlier this year.