Ailing veteran Nigerian filmmaker, Dr Ola Balogun, has directed that his kidneys, eyes and other usable organs be donated to people in need, while the rest of his body should be handed over to medical institutions for research and the training of future doctors after his death.
Balogun made the declaration in a document titled “Public Rendition of My Last Will and Testament,” which he published on WhatsApp on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, following a fresh health challenge.
The 81-year-old filmmaker said he was compelled to make his wishes public after returning to the Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Ikeja, for treatment, uncertain whether he would survive his latest illness.
“Barely a week after I was privileged to celebrate my 81st birthday on August 1st, a fresh medical alert has obliged me to once more seek treatment at the Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Ikeja. Consequently, I am hastily writing these few lines, not knowing whether or not I am destined to emerge alive from my latest confrontation with illness,” he wrote.
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Balogun explained that, as he was unable to engage a legal practitioner to prepare a formal version of his will, he chose to issue a public document outlining his final wishes.
“Since I do not have the material possibility of calling on a legal practitioner at the present moment to seek help in drawing up a final version of my last will and testament, I have decided to have recourse to the present public document in order to leave instructions behind in the event that my physical being should succumb to death within the next few days or weeks,” he stated.
He said he drew inspiration from the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whom he described as having calmly prepared his will shortly before his death.
“Like the late sage, I firmly believe that departure from earthly existence should involve a well-thought-out and orderly process, rather akin to preparation for a long journey,” Balogun added.
The renowned filmmaker also bequeathed the copyright earnings from his films to the Nigerian people as part of his legacy.
On the disposal of his body, Balogun instructed that his organs be harvested immediately after his death is medically certified.
“I hereby further direct that immediately after my physical demise would have been medically certified, my remains should be speedily dissected in order to extract any vital organs that might be useful for donation to persons in need of vital organs such as the kidneys, the eyes, etc.,” he wrote.
He further directed that the remainder of his body be donated to medical schools for anatomical studies.
“After that, I hereby direct that whatever is left over should be speedily handed over to appropriate medical institutions for use by future doctors who are learning how to carry out dissections within the scope of their study of morbid anatomy. The above decisions concerning the disposal of my corpse are rooted in the firm conviction that my physical remains should, if possible, be useful to the living,” he stated.
