ADERONKE KALE, The First Female Two Star-General In The Nigerian Armed Forces

When the words 'Nigerian Army' are mentioned, the first image that flashes across the minds of many is a mass of gun-totting, stern-faced, camouflage-wearing, MALE soldiers! Let's face it, many of us do not really think of women when talking about or thinking of the Nigerian Army. 

Nevertheless, her record remains unbroken till date in the Nigerian Army and her name is MAJOR-GENERAL (Dr.) Mrs. ADERONKE KALE.

She trained as a medical practitioner . Her area of specialty is psychiatry and was inspired to become a psychiatrist by the late, Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo before she decided to later enlist in the Nigerian Army as an officer.

As a colonel and medical commandant (Commanding Officer) in the Nigerian Army, she attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS SEC12), Kuru, Plateau State in 1990 . Upon graduation from Kuru , she returned to the Military Hospital, Benin, Edo State and resumed duties as the Commanding Officer.

From there, she was later moved to Lagos State where she served as the Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps , Ojo where she was later promoted to the rank of a Brigadier General, thus becoming the first woman in Nigeria to become a one-star general.

This amiable physician was the first female military officer to reach the rank of a major-general when she became the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps and School (NAMCS) and later bowed out without any blemish in her medical or military career.

It was later in the year 1994 that she broke the record not only in Nigeria but in West Africa with her appointment as the first ever female Major General in the Nigerian Army. Her job was to see to the psychological problems of the personnel of the Nigerian Army in addition to other duties related to administration and management. The military all across the globe, is one institution that is beset with a lot of psychological trauma and if not properly managed, could have devastating consequences.

Retirement came in 1996 under the Abacha regime. She retired honorably and till date, Major-General Kale (rtd) remains a mentor to many Nigerian women, especially those in the military. Some analysts have described her retirement as an ethnic purge by Abacha under the circumstances of an alleged coup reportedly masterminded by Lt. General Oladipo Diya of the Yoruba ethnic group as she was retired alongside a batch that included many others from her geopolitical zone.

In February 2012, she was honored at the 17th THISDAY Annual Awards for Excellence (Lifetime Achievement Awards).

Acknowledgement : Naija Archives, Abiyamo, Tun Henry