The 81-year-old filmmaker made the disclosure in a public rendition of his last will and testament released while receiving treatment at Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Lagos, following a recent health scare.
Balogun, who celebrated his 81st birthday on August 1, explained that he decided to make his wishes public rather than prepare a formal will through a lawyer because of the sudden nature of his latest health challenge.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
The filmmaker said he was inspired by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whom he said believed that death should be approached as an orderly process.
“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 said.
In the document, the veteran filmmaker directed that, once his death is medically certified, any viable organs, including his kidneys and eyes, should be extracted for donation to people who need them.
He further instructed that the remainder of his body should be donated to appropriate medical institutions for research and the training of future medical practitioners.
“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,” he stated.
“After that, I hereby direct that whatever is left over should be speedily handed over to appropriate medical institutions for use by future doctors.”
Explaining his decision, Balogun said he wanted his physical remains to continue serving a useful purpose after his death.
“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 said.
Balogun is regarded as one of the pioneers of Nigeria’s film industry and has had a career spanning several decades.
He has produced films and documentaries in English, Yoruba, Pidgin and Igbo, with notable works including Alpha, Ija Ominira, Amadi, Nigersteel, Ajani Ogun, Musik Man and Oorun Moru.
He is also recognised as part of the first generation of Nigerian filmmakers alongside the late Hubert Ogunde, Ade Love, Jab Adu and Moses Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala.
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