Ada Priscilla Nzimiro (30 April 1923 – 22 March 1951) was a trained

medical doctor A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

with family roots in

Oguta Oguta is a town on the east bank of Oguta Lake in Imo State of southeastern Nigeria. Oguta is called "Oguta-Ameshi" or "Ameshi"- by its aborigines. Indigenes - consists of two parts, the old part which holds the 27 villages of Oguta, and the ...

, in present-day

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...

. She attended the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and earned her

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

(MB ChB) in 1950. She was the first woman from

Igboland Igboland (Standard ), also known as Southeastern Nigeria (but extends into South-Southern Nigeria), is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided b ...

to graduate as a medical doctor. Nzimiro is said to have died an unnatural death a year after she graduated.

Early life and education

Priscilla Nzimiro was born in Port Harcourt, present-day capital of

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...

on 30 April 1923. She was the daughter of Richard Nzimiro and his wife Mary Nwametu Onumonu. Her step-siblings were Richard, Ifediora, and Nnamdi, all male. Her father was a politician who served as the first mayor of Port Harcourt from 1956 until his death in 1959. Her mother, a wealthy merchant, traded

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 33% of global oils produced from ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

and European manufactured goods. Mary met Richard Nzimiro while attending elementary school at St. Joseph's Girls' Convent in

Asaba City Asaba is the capital city of Delta State, Nigeria. It is located at the western bank of the Niger River, in the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of o ...

and married him in 1920 after her graduation. In 1945, Nzimiro enrolled at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

for her university education where she studied

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

. She graduated

MB ChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

in 1950 and became the first woman from

to qualify as a medical doctor.

Death

On 22 March 1951, Nzimiro died in

Glasgow Royal Infirmary The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) is a large teaching hospital. With a capacity of around 1,000 beds, the hospital campus covers an area of around , and straddles the Townhead and Dennistoun districts on the north-eastern fringe of the city cen ...

at the age of 27. Her death was a shock to many people including her parents, relatives and well-wishers. Later reports suggested that the cause of her death was unnatural. She was buried in Oguta on 27 April 1951.

Legacy

After Nzimiro's death, the William Wilberforce Academy (WWA), which was the first of two secondary schools her parents established at

in 1945, was renamed to Priscilla Memorial Grammar School. This was done in order to honour her memory and record her achievement in the field of medicine. As the first female medical doctor from her region, Nzimiro inspired many young women to pursue medicine as a career.

External links

Gendering the African diaspora: Women, Culture, and Historical Change in the Caribbean and Nigerian hinterland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nzimiro, Priscilla Ada 1923 births 1951 deaths Medical doctors from Port Harcourt Alumni of the University of Glasgow Igbo people Nigerian women medical doctors Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom