A Life of Medicine, Leadership, Integrity and Service
In the story of Lagos and its distinguished sons, few names represent the intersection of medicine, public service, social leadership and political statesmanship quite like Chief Dr. Oluyomi Abayomi Finnih FRCOG (Uk), FWACS, FIAMN, Baasegun Of Lagos, Baasegun Of Ode Remo.
Born in Lagos on 9 February 1942, Dr. Finnih belongs to a generation of Nigerians whose lives have been defined by discipline, professional excellence and an enduring commitment to society. Over the decades, he has built an enviable reputation as a physician, healthcare entrepreneur, community leader and political elder.
Today, his name remains associated with Finnih Medical Centre, Ikeja, the medical institution he established in 1983 after years of service in the public health sector. He has also become an important figure in Lagos political circles, serving as a member of the Governor's Advisory Council (GAC), the apex leadership body of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
Dr. Finnih's educational journey began in Lagos. His recorded academic history includes Ladi-Lak Institute, Yaba; Olu-Iwa College, Ijebu-Ode; Federal Emergency Science School, Lagos; and the University of Ibadan, where he studied Medicine between 1963 and 1968.
Following his medical training, he entered the Lagos State public health service around 1971. His professional advancement was rapid. Between 1975 and 1978, he served as Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, before moving into private practice. His specialist credentials include membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1974, fellowship of the Nigerian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1982, and fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom in 1987. He also served as Secretary-General of the Nigerian Medical Association between 1975 and 1978. These achievements established him not merely as a medical practitioner, but as one of the respected specialists of his generation.
FINNIH MEDICAL CENTRE: A LEGACY IN HEALTHCARE
In 1983, Dr. Finnih founded Finnih Medical Centre in GRA, Ikeja, where he served as Medical Director and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. The establishment became an important chapter in his professional journey and reflected his determination to contribute to healthcare beyond government service.
His expertise in obstetrics and gynaecology also made him a respected voice on women's health and fertility. In a 2020 City People interview, the publication described him as a distinguished obstetrician and gynaecologist and noted his former leadership of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON).
For Dr. Finnih, medicine was never simply a profession. It became a vehicle through which he served people, mentored others and contributed to the development of healthcare in Lagos and Nigeria.
A MAN OF THE YORUBA TENNIS CLUB
Beyond medicine, Dr. Finnih has enjoyed a long and distinguished association with the Yoruba Tennis Club, one of Nigeria's historic indigenous social institutions.
Founded in Lagos in 1926, the club has traditionally attracted eminent professionals, businessmen, public servants and community leaders. City People Magazine, in its landmark 2018 feature “Meet The BIG Men Of Yoruba Tennis Club,” identified Chief Yomi Finnih as a member and specifically recorded him as a past Chairman of the prestigious club. The publication also listed Dr. (Chief) Oluyomi Finnih among members of the club's Board of Trustees.
His leadership of the club remains one of the notable chapters of his public life. At his 80th birthday celebration in February 2022, held at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Bashorun J.K. Randle recalled that Finnih had been elected Chairman at a relatively young age and praised his tenure for diligence, honesty and uncommon zeal.
The choice of the Yoruba Tennis Club as the venue for his 80th birthday was therefore more than symbolic. It brought together his personal history, friendships and decades of service in one institution that has played a significant role in Lagos social history.
FROM MEDICINE TO POLITICAL STATESMANSHIP
Although Dr. Finnih's professional life was firmly rooted in medicine, his later years saw him become increasingly involved in public affairs and politics.
His political engagement became particularly prominent during Nigeria's democratic struggles and the movement against military rule. In an interview with The Nation at 80, Finnih reflected on his political journey and described the ending of military rule as one of his major lifetime achievements. The newspaper described him as a Lagos-born obstetrician, gynaecologist, humanist and politician whose career spanned about six decades.
He subsequently became a prominent figure within the Lagos political establishment and a member of the Governor's Advisory Council (GAC). Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while celebrating Finnih's 80th birthday, described him as an embodiment of dedication and selflessness in both public and private service.
His political influence has therefore not been built solely around electoral office. Rather, it has developed through experience, relationships, counsel and decades of engagement with Lagos society.
A LEGACY RECOGNISED BY LAGOS
Perhaps one of the most enduring institutional recognitions of his contribution came from Lagos State itself. In 2019, the Lagos State Government commissioned the Dr. Oluyomi Abayomi Finnih Park in Oregun, Ikeja, naming the recreational facility after him in recognition of his standing as a prominent medical practitioner and elder statesman. The official Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency record confirms that the facility was commissioned on 31 August 2019.
Such recognition places his name beyond the walls of a hospital, political organisation or social club. It gives his legacy a physical place within the landscape of the city he has served for generations.
THE ELDER STATESMAN
What makes Chief Dr. Oluyomi Finnih's story particularly remarkable is the breadth of his journey. He has been a medical practitioner, consultant, healthcare entrepreneur, professional association leader, social club chairman, political activist, APC elder and member of the Lagos State GAC.
Yet the tributes surrounding his milestone birthdays repeatedly return to qualities beyond titles: discipline, humility, integrity, dedication and service.
At 80+, Governor Sanwo-Olu described him as a father and leader whose contributions to healthcare had benefited Lagos State and Nigeria. Senator Tokunbo Abiru similarly described him as an accomplished medical consultant and political icon whose service in both medicine and public affairs had contributed to Lagos' development.
For a man who has spent more than half a century in medicine and public life, perhaps the greatest measure of achievement is not the number of positions held, but the number of institutions, people and generations touched along the way.
Chief Dr. Oluyomi Abayomi Finnih stands today as a symbol of a remarkable Lagos generation — a generation that believed professional excellence must go hand in hand with service, responsibility and leadership, from the hospital to the political arena, from the Yoruba Tennis Club to the wider Lagos community, his story is one of medicine, leadership, resilience and enduring service.
Chief Dr. Oluyomi Abayomi Finnih, physician. Healthcare Pioneer. Lagos Elder. Political Statesman. Community Leader. A life of service. A legacy of impact. A Lagos story worth preserving.
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