Dupe Ademola-Popoola

Biography

Dupe Ademola-Popoola (Dúpé Ṣẹrífát Ādémọ́lá-Pópóọlá) is a Nigerian ophthalmologist and academic. She studied medicine at the University of Lagos and specialised in ophthalmology, with further training in paediatric ophthalmology and ophthalmic oncology in India, Egypt, and the USA. She is Professor and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Ilorin and Consultant Ophthalmologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

She established the Paediatric, Strabismus, and Ocular Oncology Services at the hospital and has led work on childhood blindness prevention, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), and Retinoblastoma. She developed the Teacher-LED Vision Screener (TELVIS), a patented vision screening tool for schools, and has pioneered task-shifting models for ROP care. She has served as Chairman of the Nigerian Paediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus Society (NIPOSS) and has been recognised internationally, including as Dr. David Paton Global Visiting Professor at Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia.

Historical Context

Paediatric ophthalmology and childhood blindness prevention have been under-resourced in many African countries. Dupe Ademola-Popoola has built services and tools that allow earlier detection and treatment, and has trained and led teams to scale care, especially for ROP and retinoblastoma.

What She Fought For

Dupe Ademola-Popoola has fought for child eye health and childhood blindness prevention, for innovation in vision screening and ROP care, and for women's leadership in medical academia and ophthalmology. She has advocated for task-shifting and sustainable models of care in resource-limited settings.

Major Achievements

• Professor and Head of Ophthalmology, University of Ilorin; established paediatric and ocular oncology services
• Developer of TELVIS (Teacher-LED Vision Screener); pioneer in ROP and retinoblastoma care in Nigeria
• Chairman of NIPOSS; Dr. David Paton Global Visiting Professor; Victor Anomah Ngu Lecture (WACS)

Her Impact Today

Dupe Ademola-Popoola is recognised as a leading figure in African paediatric ophthalmology and a pioneer in preventing childhood blindness and scaling eye care for children.

Sources: University of Ilorin, NIPOSS, Wills Eye Hospital