John Bukola Apantaku was a neurologist in Lagos, Nigeria. Born in Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria, he was the son of Hugh Gabriel Apantaku, a civil servant, and his wife, Ayoola, who was a nurse. From a medical family, many of his relatives were qualified in medicine. Educated at St John’s School, Ilesha and then Christ’s School, Ado-Ekri, he studied medicine at University College, Ibadan from 1963 to 1968.

Qualifying in 1968, he did house jobs at University College Hospital in Ibadan for two years before coming to the UK and working in various hospitals from 1971 to 1973. He also did further training at the University of Edinburgh at this time.

In 1975 he spent a year at the Montreal Neurological Institute before returning to Lagos and taking an appointment at the University Teaching Hospital. In 1980 he established a private hospital, the Ikeja Medical Centre in Lagos, and it is now a busy and well-respected institution.

Outside medicine he enjoyed playing table tennis.

In 1970 he married Morayo Adeola, a fellow medical practitioner, and she survived him together with their four sons.

RCP editor