Olumbe Bassir

Olumbe Bassir (1919–2001) was a Sierra Leonean scientist, author and academic.[1] His primary contributions to research were in the areas of aflatoxins, nutrition, and peace research.[2]

Early life and education

Born in Senegal to Sierra Leonean Oku parents in 1919, Abdul Rahman Bassir was raised in Fourah Bay area, in the municipality of Freetown, by his parents Abdul and Isatu Bassir. He attended the Prince of Wales Secondary School where he passed the Senior Cambridge examination with exemption from London matriculation. In 1946, after a short teaching spell at the prestigious Bo Government Secondary School, he attended to Yaba College where he obtained the Higher National Diploma. He then went to the United Kingdom, where he earned the Bachelor of Science degree in 1949 and PhD in 1951 from Liverpool University.[3]

Career

He spent most of his professional career at the University of Ibadan, where he founded the Biochemistry and Microbiology departments. He laid the foundation of what became the first medical school in West Africa. By 1958, he was already a full professor. His academic specialty was nutrition and biochemical toxicology. He was at various times Head of those two departments, Dean of faculty and also served as acting Vice Chancellor.[4]

He had written at least 250 professional papers by 1972 when University of London conferred the coveted doctor of science degree (D.Sc.) on him. He had performed very successful lecture tours in the then Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America among others.[3]

Olumbe Bassir was the author of several books. His 1957 book Anthology of West African Verse[5] was seminal in introducing written African poetry to Western audiences. His other popular books include Handbook of Practical Biochemistry (1963) and Metabolism of Afflatoxins and other Mycotoxins (1989).

In 1968, he formed a partnership with Richard Tecwyn Williams through the British Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas. The programme's research division helped developed the Drug Metabolism and Biochemical Toxicology research program at Ibadan and contributed in fostering interest and making interesting findings in animal nutritional habits.

After retiring from the University of Ibadan, he remained active for several years, continuing to act as editor of the West African Journal of Biology and Applied Chemistry. He also served as chairman of the Welcome Nigeria Fund, which became the Bassir-Thomas Biomedical Foundation in the early 1990s. He also regularly organised the annual Open House Colloquim.

Advocacy and activism

Olumbe Bassir was a lifelong advocate for peace, and was an active member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. He also contributed to the Universities and the Quest for Peace. He was also sympathetic to the Fabian Society which he flirted with in his student days in England. He founded the Association of University Teachers in Nigeria which later became the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Despite being non-partisan, he helped develop the manifesto of the Action Group.

Personal life

His name "Olumbe" means "God exists" in Yoruba.[6] He married Constance while in the UK and Modesola while in Nigeria. He had 10 children. In 2000, he suffered a blood clot in the brain due to a traumatic injury to the head. Despite successful surgery and recuperation he died at Ibadan on May 23, 2001.

Selected publications
  • 1979 - Effect of glyphosate on rat liver mitochondriain vivo.[7]
  • 1979 - The uncoupling effect of N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine on isolated rat liver mitochondria.[8]
  • 1978 - Hepatocarcinogens in Nigerian foodstuffs.[9]
  • 1978 - Occurrence of nitrate, nitrite, dimethylamine, and dimethylnitrosamine in some fermented Nigerian beverages.[10]
  • 1976 - Effect of cooking on the vitamin C content of fresh leaves and wilted leaves.[11]
  • 1970 - Oxidative metabolism of aflatoxin B1 by mammalian liver slices and microsomes.[12]
  • 1979 - The uncoupling effect of N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine on isolated rat liver mitochondria.[8]
  • 1957 - An Anthology of West African Verse. Ibadan University Press.
  • 1973 The effects of aflatoxin B 1 and palmotoxins B 0 and G 0 on the germination and leaf colour of the cowpea (Vigna sinensis).[13]
  • 1958 Nutritional studies on breast milk of Nigerian women.(Changes in the major constituents of breast milk during a single feed).[14]
  • 1972 Production of aflatoxin B 1 from defined natural cultures of Aspergillus flavus (Link).[15]

References
  1. "New Scientist: The professor's dilemma". 56 (514). Reed Business Information. October 5, 1972: 17. Retrieved November 26, 2014. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. Obituary Professor Enitan Abisogun Bababunmi (2017). Obituary Professor Enitan Abisogun Bababunmi 1940 – 2017.
  3. Kolinsky, Martin (1985). "The Growth of Nigerian Universities 1948-1980: The British Share". Minerva. 23 (1): 29–61. doi:10.1007/BF01097839. ISSN 0026-4695. JSTOR 41820605. S2CID 144773028.
  4. Udo, Mary (2017-03-01). "OLUMBE, (Prof) Bassir". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  5. Andrian A Roscoe (1971). Mother is Gold: A Study in West African Literature. CUP Archive. p. 14. ISBN 9780521096447. olumbe bassir.
  6. "Black Spirituality Religion : Yoruba names and their meanings". Destee. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  7. Olorunsogo, Olufunso O.; Bababunmi, Enitan A.; Bassir, Olumbe (1979). "Effect of glyphosate on rat liver mitochondriain vivo". Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 22 (1): 357–364. doi:10.1007/bf02026955. ISSN 0007-4861. PMID 223703. S2CID 19992825.
  8. Bababunmi, Enitan A.; Olorunsogo, Olufunso O.; Bassir, Olumbe (1979). "The uncoupling effect of N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine on isolated rat liver mitochondria". Biochemical Pharmacology. 28 (6): 925–927. doi:10.1016/0006-2952(79)90377-0. ISSN 0006-2952. PMID 156546.
  9. Bababunmi, Enitan A.; Uwaifo, Anthony O.; Bassir, Olumbe (1978), "Hepatocarcinogens in Nigerian Foodstuffs", Some Aspects of Human and Veterinary Nutrition, World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics, S. Karger AG, 28, pp. 188–209, doi:10.1159/000400640, ISBN 978-3-8055-2672-2, PMID 211740
  10. Bassir, Olumbe; Maduagwu, Emmanuel N. (1978). "Occurrence of nitrate, nitrite, dimethylamine, and dimethylnitrosamine in some fermented Nigerian beverages". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 26 (1): 200–203. doi:10.1021/jf60215a052. ISSN 0021-8561. PMID 621323.
  11. Fafunso, Michael; Bassir, Olumbe (1976). "Effect of cooking on the vitamin C content of fresh leaves and wilted leaves". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 24 (2): 354–355. doi:10.1021/jf60204a054. ISSN 0021-8561. PMID 1254813.
  12. Bassir, Olumbe; Emafo, Philip O. (1970). "Oxidative metabolism of aflatoxin B1 by mammalian liver slices and microsomes". Biochemical Pharmacology. 19 (5): 1681–1687. doi:10.1016/0006-2952(70)90158-9. ISSN 0006-2952. PMID 5513948.
  13. Adekunle, A. A.; Bassir, O. (1973). "The effects of aflatoxin B1 and palmotoxins B0 and G0 on the germination and leaf colour of the cowpea (vigna sinensis)". Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata. 51 (4): 299–305. doi:10.1007/bf02057800. ISSN 0301-486X. PMID 4768220. S2CID 34739780.
  14. BASSIR, O. (1958). "Nutritional studies on breast milk of Nigerian women: Changes in the major constituents of breast milk during a single feed". Journal of Tropical Pediatrics. 4 (1): 3–12. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.tropej.a057492. ISSN 0142-6338.
  15. Bassir, O.; Adekunle, A. A. (1972). "Production of aflatoxin B1 from defined natural cultures of Aspergillus flavus (link)". Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata. 46 (3): 241–246. doi:10.1007/bf02053412. ISSN 0301-486X. PMID 4622288. S2CID 2735883.
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