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African Academy of Sciences Elects New ‘Fellow’, Bolajoko Olusanya

Published

1 year ago

April 8, 2025

Eric

As Nigerians continue to search for remarkable heroes in virtually all the fields of human endeavour, as their beacon – bearers in the dark tunnel of mass ignorance, it is indeed a piece of heart-warming news that one of our own is making the nation and indeed the African continent proud in the challenging world of academics. She is none other than the erudite paeditrician, Bolajoko Olusanya, who was elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS). And going by her outstanding achievements, the prestigious honour is all well deserved.

Described as an exemplary scholar, disability inclusion advocate and social entrepreneur, Olusanya is actively engaged in globally impactful researches outside the traditional university/academic setting. That sets her apart as she stands head and shoulders above her peers. It is therefore, necessary for us all to glean from her vast and varied experiences in the global medical field.

With regards to her proud academic pedigree she is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria (MBBS1977 – 1982)
Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital & Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
/FMCPaed (1987 -1998 Paediatrics). Others include the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, ( UK, FRCPCH 2004 Child Health)and the University College London, UK for her PhD in 2008, specializing in Child Health & Audio-Vestibular Medicine.

Based on her feats in medical -related researches she was elected in 2023 as a Fellow of The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and announced in April 2025: (News| AAS Fellow).

Worthy of note is that Dr. Olusanya is the Centre Director of the Healthy Start Initiative (HSI). The Nigerian/UK-trained developmental paediatrician with PhD in Child Health/Audio-Vestibular Medicine from the University College London is also the co-founder of the Centre for Healthy Start Initiative, Nigeria (an Organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council).

Interestingly, she is the Medical Director of First Years Medical Centre and Phonics Hearing Centre in Nigeria and a Senior Collaborator with the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). She is involved in the study based at the Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation (IHME), Seattle, USA as well as being the coordinator/co-founder, the Global Research on Developmental Disabilities Collaborators (GRDDC).

She is a passionate and evidence-driven advocate for children with disabilities, accountability and decolonisation in global health.

Within the academic landscape she has authored or co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed articles with over 120,000 citations spanning paediatrics, otolaryngology, audiology, general/rehabilitative medicine, maternal and child health, and international health policy.

Of great significance is that her scientific work is inspired by her personal experience of inclusive education with congenital hearing loss and is uniquely focused on community-oriented management of developmental disabilities. That is including early detection and intervention programmes, as well as the prevention and management of the associated risk factors. She is academic reviewer for over 100 Medline-indexed scientific journals and serves on several editorial boards including BMJ Paediatrics Open, International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, International Journal of Audiology, PLOS One, Frontiers in Public Health, Frontiers in Pediatrics, and the Christian Journal for Global Health.

It should be highlighted that Dr. Olusanya pioneered the largest hospital-based and community-based universal newborn hearing screening programmes in Nigeria/Africa from 2003 to 2008 (UNHS Nigeria). And she was a leading contributor to the current WHO classification system for hearing loss. She is the lead local investigator for the first and only randomised controlled trial on the use of filtered sunlight phototherapy for treating neonates with severe-to-hazardous hyperbilirubinaemia globally.

She is a Fellow/Member of several professional associations, including the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal Society of Medicine, the European Academy of Childhood-onset Disability, the International Epidemiological Association, and the American Psychological Association. She received the 2018 Aram Glorig Award by the International Society of Audiology, in recognition of her contribution to global hearing healthcare. She is listed among the world’s top 2% highly-ranked scientists and has been awarded a lifetime highly ranked scholar status in hearing loss and developing countries in the field of public health by Scholar GPS.

Outstanding is the fact that she is ranked as the leading researcher in paediatrics in Nigeria and among the top 5 in Africa. She is Co-Chair, The Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss and Member, The Lancet Commission on Disability & Health.

Featured

Supreme Court Verdict: ADC Chieftain Advises Tinubu to Kiss Aso Rock Goodbye

Published

6 hours ago

May 2, 2026

Eric

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has declared that it is over for the President Bola Tinubu administration following the Supreme Court ruling that restored the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the opposition party.

Eze, in a statement on Friday, criticized the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and the INEC chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, asserting that they should be ashamed for acting as obstacles to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

He said: “The government led by President Bola Tinubu has tarnished the judiciary. Certain judges and courts are reportedly being systematically employed to undermine the leadership of political parties in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.

“Even when all seemed lost, given the recent court rulings in political cases, particularly those involving opposition parties, Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment was a divine intervention.

“We express our gratitude to God Almighty for prompting the Supreme Court to overturn that disgraceful, distorted, and anti-democratic ruling issued by the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the misguided interpretation and decision of INEC regarding our party, the ADC.”

He stressed that the time has come for Tinubu and his alleged undemocratic associates in Aso Rock to return to Lagos.

“With Thursday’s ruling saving the ADC from destruction, it is time for Tinubu to begin drafting his handover notes and prepare for his return to Lagos State,” Eze stated.

Eze advised the ADC to concentrate on its primary function as a prominent opposition party in the upcoming 2027 general elections, as that the leadership dispute has been resolved.

He emphasized that stability at the upper levels of the party will result in improved organization, clearer communication, and enhanced participation in Nigeria’s political arena.

Notably, he asserted that the ruling will add to Nigeria’s expanding collection of case laws regarding political party governance, and urged the ADC to stay focused on its objective of reclaiming power from the APC due to poor governance.

“It highlights the judiciary’s role in interpreting party constitutions and ensuring adherence, which may affect how future conflicts are resolved,” Eze stated.

He praised the panel for upholding justice, remarking that any opposing decision regarding the ADC’s alleged leadership issue would have further entangled the Judiciary in the murky waters of arbitral corruption.

“Clearly, this ruling has set the stage for cohesion, unity, stability, and effective leadership within the ADC.

“With this issue now definitively settled, even though it should not have been justiciable ab initio, as it pertains to an internal matter of a political party, we urge all our members, stakeholders, and supporters to unite behind the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC to collectively reposition the party for greater national significance, viability, and visibility,” Eze said.

Featured

2027: We’re on Track, ADC Hails S’Court Ruling

Published

1 day ago

May 1, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it would never be intimidated, distracted, or silenced in its push to realize a better Nigeria.

Spokesman of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said this in reaction to the Supreme Court ruling, which affirmed David Mark’s leadership of the party.

Abdullahi said the judgment has affirmed that the Mark and Rauf Aregbesola leadership of the party is legitimate.

Abdullahi said: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) congratulates all our members and leaders across the country on today’s Supreme Court ruling which affirmed the leadership of our party under Senator David Mark as National Chairman, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.

“Today’s decision is a clear affirmation that our party, its structures, and its leadership under our National Chairman, Senator Mark, and our National Secretary, Ogbeni Aregbesola, are legitimate.

“We commend the five-man panel of the Supreme Court, whose unanimous judgment has today done great credit to the judiciary in our country and our political system.

“However, while we welcome this judgment, we do not mistake it for the end of the struggle. The events leading up to this moment have exposed a troubling pattern of interference, bad faith, and attempts to weaken opposition voices in Nigeria.

“Let it be clearly stated: the ADC will not be intimidated, distracted, or silenced. We remain resolute in our mission to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative.

“We therefore urge all our members, supporters, and democratic stakeholders across the country to remain vigilant.”

Featured

Tinubu Appoints Bianca Ojukwu As Foreign Affairs Minister

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2026

Eric

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Nigeria’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The announcement was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).

The appointment followed the resignation of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to participate in preparations for the 2027 elections.

According to the statement, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s elevation marks a return to a more senior role within Nigeria’s foreign service architecture, having previously served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Her new appointment places her at the helm of Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements, where she is expected to oversee the country’s foreign policy direction, strengthen international partnerships, and advance economic diplomacy objectives.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, following the resignation of Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to participate in the 2027 elections.

“Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu previously served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

The Presidency noted that the decision forms part of ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s foreign policy framework for greater efficiency and stronger global engagement. It added that the new minister is expected to deepen diplomatic relations, promote Nigeria’s national interest, and ensure the welfare of Nigerians abroad remains a priority.

In the same announcement, President Tinubu also nominated Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, subject to Senate confirmation.

Enikanolaiye, from Kogi State, previously served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations. He is a seasoned diplomat with over three decades of service in Nigeria’s foreign affairs system and has held key postings in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London, and New Delhi.

The Presidency said the appointments are part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign policy architecture and improve the country’s global diplomatic engagement.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a lawyer, diplomat, and former beauty queen who has had a long career in public service and international diplomacy.

She was born on 5 August 1967 in Anambra State and studied law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992 after attending the Nigerian Law School in Lagos.

Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio in Spain, as well as postgraduate diplomas in Human Rights and International Relations from the Berg Institute, Madrid, and in Dynamics of Conflict and Cooperation from the University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu previously served as Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Diaspora Matters and later became Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain from 2012 to 2015, where she also represented the country at the UN World Tourism Organization. She earlier served as Ambassador to Ghana.

She was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, where she supported Nigeria’s external affairs portfolio, including diplomacy, consular engagement, and international relations strategy. She has now been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.

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