ProfessorTheodore Idibiye Francis was the first vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 1981 – 1987. He also served as external examiner in medicine to the University of Chana, University of Lagos, The University of the West Indies, and also to Obafemi Awolowo University.
Francis was a member of the West African Society of Gastroenterology, the American Society of Gastroenterology, the American Society for the Study of the Liver, the International Association for the Study of the Liver and the Nigerian Society of Endoscopy. He travelled widely over five continents and published some hundred papers in learned journals.
He was a member of the Royal Society of Surgeons, England, 1959; member, Royal College of Physicians, London and Edinburgh, 1962; foundation fellow, Nigerian Post graduate Medical Faculty of Physic, since 1970; fellow, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, since 1972; fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London, since 1975; fellow, West African College of Physicians, since 1976; foundation fellow, Nigerian Academy of Science, since 1977; member, International Association for the Study of the Liver; Vice- Chairman, Expert Panel on the Assessment of Audio-Visual Aids, World Health Organization (WHO), 1973.