Oreoluwa Green: West Africa’s First Female Pharmacist 

Long before African girls were encouraged to pursue careers in science, and decades before women became a dominant force in Nigeria’s pharmacy profession, there was Oreoluwa (Olaore) Green—a trailblazer who took up the mortar and pestle, not for cooking, but for compounding medicine with precision and expertise.

At a time when societal expectations confined women to domestic roles, Green defied convention, stepping boldly into a field believed to be reserved for men. She became West Africa’s first female pharmacist, leaving an indelible mark on healthcare and public health in Nigeria and beyond.

While contemporary Nigerians may be more familiar with such iconic female pharmaceutical scientists as Dr Dora Akunyili, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Prof. Ijeoma Uchegbu, Dr Stella Okoli, Prof. Chinedum Babalola, Prof. Cecelia Igwilo, Prof. Toyin Tofade, and Dr Teresa Pounds—it was Green who first breached the professional frontier. She did not just shatter the glass ceiling; she built the very foundation upon which future generations would stand.

Privileged background

Born in 1885 in Lagos, then a burgeoning colonial outpost of British Nigeria, Green hailed from an influential and educated family. Her father, Francis Colley Green, served as superintendent of the Lagos Detective Force, and her family connections included notable figures such as Benjamin Bankole Daniel, a major political player in colonial Lagos.

This privileged background enabled Green to access high-quality education at a time when such opportunities were rare for women. She attended CMS Girls Seminary and St Mary’s Convent School in Lagos—two of the most prestigious schools for girls at the time—and also received private tutoring from Reverend W.B. Euba, a distinguished educator. Under his tutelage, she excelled in subjects considered exceptional for women of her era, including Mathematics, Latin, Greek, and Geometry. It was evident early on that Green was destined for more than society’s expectations of women.

Interestingly, Green’s intellectual pursuits were not limited to the sciences. A linguist fluent in English, French and Latin, she also had a flair for the arts. In 1911, at the age of 26, she played Portia in a Lagos stage production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, a performance that won her the admiration of many and revealed a woman not only of intellectual might but of cultural grace.

Education and certification

In May 1912, Green travelled to London to broaden her academic horizons. There, she accumulated a string of qualifications that would set her apart not only in Nigeria but across all of West Africa. She initially earned a First Class Certificate in the Theory of Music from the London College of Music—but her focus soon shifted to healthcare. She obtained a Certificate of the Central Midwives Board and an Honours Certificate from the Clapham School of Midwifery and Clapham Maternity Hospital. She also trained in invalid cookery, earning a distinction in this field from Buckingham Palace Road School of Cookery.

However, Green’s most revolutionary achievement came in 1916, when she obtained the Apothecaries Certificate from the Pharmaceutical Society of London and successfully passed her qualifying exams at Westminster College of Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Botany. With these, she became the first West African woman to hold a formal pharmaceutical qualification—a momentous milestone in African healthcare history.

A return to serve

After her years in Britain, Green returned to Lagos in 1917. Her first professional engagement was as a midwife and dispenser at the hospital of Dr Richard Akinwande Savage, one of the era’s most respected medical practitioners. It was a fitting collaboration—two pioneering minds working in tandem for public health advancement.

After 18 months of service, Green struck out on her own, establishing a private practice at 71 Campbell Street in Lagos. There, she worked both as a nurse and a pharmacist, offering services at a time when access to competent, female-led healthcare was practically unheard of in West Africa.

To the many who knew her, she became “Nurse Green”—a name that, while accurate, fails to capture the full breadth of her pioneering contributions. She was not just a caregiver; she was an innovator, a barrier-breaker, and a beacon for women in the healthcare professions.

Later life and legacy

While little is known about Green’s later life. it is established that by the 1920s, she was still living and actively contributing to Lagosian society. So much was her influence that the Red Book of West Africa (1920) dubbed her the “Lagos Talented Lady”—a rare and significant honour that highlights her societal impact.

Sadly, most people today—including pharmacy students, healthcare professionals, even historians—know nothing about this. Her name is absent from plaques, school buildings, and civic honours.

Indeed Oreoluwa Green deserves more than a footnote in the annals of African healthcare history. Her story is not simply one of personal success but of generational impact. She stood at the crossroads of tradition and transformation, using her intellect, determination and education to dismantle barriers and redefine what was possible for women in healthcare.

As Nigeria continues to celebrate its growing cadre of female pharmacists, researchers, and pharmaceutical entrepreneurs, it is essential to honour the foundation upon which all their achievements are built. In recognising Green’s contributions, we do more than recover a forgotten figure—we reclaim a heritage of excellence.

Today’s health institutions, pharmacy schools, and professional associations would do well to celebrate her legacy through dedicated scholarships, research grants, or educational exhibits. Telling her story in classrooms and conferences would inspire a new generation of women to lead with courage, curiosity, and conviction.

Green was, in every sense, a hero of healthcare—and it is high time her name took its rightful place among the greats. She was the originator of a legacy that is still unfolding through every Nigerian girl who dreams of donning a pharmacist’s coat, leading a healthcare enterprise, or researching the next medical breakthrough.