Oba Kamoru Adekunle Ola-Olorun Sansi was born in Esure, Ijebu-Imusin. He had his primary education at St. Peter Claver’s Catholic School, Esure, from where he passed out to Kings’ College, Lagos, on full scholarship in 1945.
On leaving King’s College in 1951, he worked as a Third Class Clerk at the then Nigerian Secretariat, Lagos. He resigned his appointment in December 1953 and proceeded to St. Patrick’s College, Ikot Ansa, Calabar, where he studied for and passed the Cambridge Higher School Certificate (Principal Levels in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) in 1954. He taught as a Science Master at the Ibadan Boys’ High School from January to September 1955.
In October 1955, he enrolled at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh. He graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (B.V.M.&S) from the University of Edinburgh in July 1961. He was at the same time admitted as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (M.R.C.V.S.). Later that year, he returned home to work as a Veterinary Officer in the Western Region Civil Service. He served as Provincial Veterinary Officer for Oyo until 1966 when he was sponsored by his employers and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to obtain a Master of Science degree in Veterinary Pathology at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, which he accomplished in 1968.
On his return to Ibadan in August 1968, he was posted to serve as the Principal of the Animal Heal School, Moor Plantation. Later, he moved on to act as Assistant Chief Veterinary Officer at the Secretariat Agodi, Ibadan. He was transferred on promotion to the Federal Civil Service in March 1970 as Deputy Director of Veterinary Research, FDVR, Vom, in the then Benue-Plateau State. He proceeded on further in-service training in 1972 and obtained the Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) from Cornell University in June 1974. He was subsequently promoted to Director of Veterinary Research, at the Federal Department of Veterinary Research, Vom, near Jos in 1975.
He was posted in 1979 as Director of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research, Kaduna, from where he retired voluntarily from the Federal Public Service in February 1980. Thereafter, he set up the firm of Sanagvet Consultants which operated in the field of animal production and animal health.
He has also occupied several other posts, particularly in the academia. He acted as President of Nigeria Union of Students, Edinburgh from 1960 to 1961; President of Nigeria Veterinary Association from 1969 to 1971; External Examiner in Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1975 to 1976; President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria from 1976 to 1979; and Part-time Lecturer, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ibadan from 1976 to 1987. Oba Sansi has many publications in reputable scientific journals.
In November 1989, he was conferred with the Honorary Award for Distinguished Service by the Veterinary Medical Association. He was elected as a Foundation Fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria (FCVSN) in 1998. He is a Life Member of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association and the Royal Father of the Profession was conferred on him by the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Ogun State in September 2008. He is presently the President of the Association of Crowned Obas of Ijebuland and Patron of the Alkhaleeq Muslim Society of Nigeria.
Oba Sansi was a member of Rotary Club Jos from 1977 to 1979. He was Chairman of the Ijebu-Imusin Planning Body from 1984 to 1986. In August 2014, Alayeluwa Oba Sansi received the Ijebu Professional Excellence Award in recognition of his numerous contributions to the development of Veterinary Medicine in Nigeria. Alayeluwa Oba Sansi married former Miss Taiwo Ige (now of blessed memory) and they were blessed with children.
