Posted on: Wed 07-12-2022

The fortunes of the Nigerian health sector received a boost recently as 12 medical doctors in diverse areas of medicine, were powered following their successful completion of a novel mentorship programme for medical doctors.

The young physicians, five male, and seven female, who are products of the Dr Abayomi Ajayi Physicians Mentoring Programme, an initiative designed to assist the average Nigerian doctors to unveil their full potential, are ready to face the tough but rewarding terrain of the Nigerian health sector.

The Dr Abayomi Ajayi Physicians Mentoring Programme was primarily designed to tackle brain drain.  Led by Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, the CEO, Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos,  working with 10 acclaimed and successful professionals in a diversity of callings, the mentees were taken through the nitty-gritty of stewardship, partnership, and demand generation even as they learned the importance of training and opportunities for integration into existing structures within the health sector.

Among the doctors are  Dr. Yejide Okungbaye, a medical officer in a private hospital, has her eyes on pediatrics and graduate of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos;  Dr. Mariam Ebere Al-Hassan, also a graduate of the College of the Medicine University of Lagos, and passionate about public health; Dr. Nneoma Praise Ibe a graduate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, with interest in maternal and child health, and Dr. Olaniran Olabiyi Hezekiah from the Dr Benjamin S.Carson School of Medicine, Babcock University. Ogun state.

Among the young doctors is Dr. Adeola Fashola trained at the Lagos State University; Dr. Charles Okeke from Afe Babalola University;  Dr. Anulaobi Caleb, who is passionate about good health and personal development; Dr. Anichukwu Rosemary Onyinyechi, a General Medical Practitioner trained in Ternopil National University, Ukraine; Dr. Adetola Oladimeji, who has an MPh in Health Policy and Management and is passionate about strengthening governance for health systems;  Dr. Ajibike Gbajabiamila, a graduate of the CMUL,  and currently a Paediatric Medical Officer, and Dr Idaraesit Ndem who graduated from the University of Calabar in 2016 as the best graduating student in surgery.

In the views of the initiator Dr, Abayomi Ajayi,  the Mentoring Programme is a carefully designed initiative to assist the average Nigerian doctor to unveil full potential in the bid to return Nigeria to its path of glory. He said as part of the programme, the mentees went through series of web-based training followed by series of presentations delivered by the mentors on diverse areas of leadership, entrepreneurship, and organisational ability.

“This distinguished team is the resource base interacting personally with the mentees and driving a new mode of thought, fueled by professional and entrepreneurial capacity building to grow the new age Nigerian medical doctor,” he remarked.

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