Ola Balogun, the renowned Nigerian filmmaker, has announced that his organs should be donated and his body given to medical institutions after his death.
The 81-year-old made this directive in his will, which he shared with TheCable Lifestyle on Wednesday. Titled ‘Public Rendition of My Last Will and Testament,’ the document reveals that Balogun was moved to act after a recent health scare, having been diagnosed with a new illness just days after turning 81 on August 1.
Currently receiving treatment at Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, Balogun explained that he was unable to prepare a formal will with a lawyer, prompting him to issue a public statement outlining his final wishes.
He cited the example of Obafemi Awolowo, the late Nigerian statesman, who drafted his will weeks before his passing, as inspiration for his decision.
“Barely a week after I was privileged to celebrate my 81st birthday on August 1st, a fresh medical alert has obliged me to once more seek treatment at the Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Ikeja. Consequently, I am hastily writing these few lines, not knowing whether or not I am destined to emerge alive from my latest confrontation with illness,” Balogun wrote.
“Since I do not have the material possibility of calling on a legal practitioner at the present moment to seek help in drawing up a final version of my last will and testament, I have decided to have recourse to the present public document in order to leave instructions behind in the event that my physical being should succumb to death within the next few days or weeks.
“I am encouraged in this decision by the sterling example of the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who calmly sat down to pen a final version of his will a few weeks before his death. Like the late sage, I firmly believe that departure from earthly existence should involve a well-thought-out and orderly process, rather akin to preparation for a long journey.”
Balogun instructed that immediately after his death is confirmed, his remains should be quickly dissected to extract any viable organs, such as kidneys or eyes, for donation to those in need. He further directed that the remainder of his body be handed over to medical institutions for use in training future doctors in anatomy.
He explained that his decision was motivated by the belief that his body should continue to benefit others even after his death.
“These decisions concerning the disposal of my corpse are rooted in the firm conviction that my physical remains should, if possible, be useful to the living,” he wrote.
Ola Balogun is widely regarded as a pioneer in the Nigerian film industry. His career, spanning several decades, includes the production of films and documentaries in English, Yoruba, Pidgin, and Igbo. In 1972, he directed his first feature-length film, ‘Alpha,’ marking his transition from documentary to narrative cinema. His notable works include ‘Alpha’, ‘Ija Ominira’, ‘Amadi’, ‘Nigersteel’, ‘Ajani Ogun’, ‘Musik Man’ and ‘Oorun Moru’.
Balogun belongs to the first generation of Nigerian filmmakers, alongside luminaries such as Hubert Ogunde, Jab Adu, Ade Afolayan (Ade Love), and Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala).
