The death was announced of Nigeria’s first female Major-General, Aderonke Kale, 84, in London, on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
She was the first woman to achieve this high rank in the country’s army.
Born on July 31, 1939 to a pharmacist father and a teacher mother, Kale embarked on an extraordinary journey that broke the gender barriers in the Nigerian military.
After obtaining her medical degree from the University College, later known as the University of Ibadan (UI), she specialized in psychiatry at the University of London, inspired by the trailblazing Thomas Lambo, Africa’s first professor of Psychiatry.
Returning to Nigeria in 1971, Kale’s entry into the Nigerian Army in 1972 marked the beginning of her historic career. Over the years, she climbed the ranks, holding significant positions, such as Colonel and Deputy Commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps by 1990.
Breaking new ground in West Africa, Kale was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, setting a precedent as the first female general in the region.
Her assent continued, reaching the pinnacle in 1994 when she achieved the rank of Major-General, another first for Nigeria women and also in West Africa.
In 1997, she retired from the Army.
Beyond her military achievements, Major General Kale was a devoted wife to Professor Oladele Kale, a distinguished Dean of Preventive and Social Medicine, and a loving mother to five sons, one of whom, Yemi Kale, later became the Statistician-General of Nigeria.
In recognition of her groundbreaking legacy, the female hall of residence at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), was named after her in 2011.
Her impact on the Nigerian Military and society at large is immeasurable, paving the way for future generations of women to pursue and excel in military service.
