What is SIHI Nigeria Hub

Mission of SIHI Nigeria Hub

We seek to create an enabling environment for social innovation through increasing evidence and its uptake, fostering collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and all stakeholders by encouraging a culture of Nigerians solving their health challenges through research, training, practice, advocacy and community empowerment to address challenges in health care delivery.

Vision of SIHI Nigeria Hub

Our vision as a member of the SIHI community is to integrate social innovations into health care delivery to increase Universal Health Coverage and progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

About SIHI Nigeria Hub

In April 2020, TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Disease, awarded a grant to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria and School of Public Health, University of Ghana to collaborate with Makerere University, Uganda in advancing social innovation in health in Africa through research, capacity building and advocacy. Along with 12 other research institutions around the world, Nnamdi Azikiwe University is a country research hub of the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) and was launched in 2020 as the SIHI Nigeria Hub.

SIHI is a global network of individuals and institutions pioneering social innovation. It is supported by TDR, which is co-sponsored by UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank and WHO. TDR receives additional funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Our team

Emeritus Prof. Obioma Nwaorgu (FAS)

Public Health Parasitology | Team Lead

Emeritus Prof. Obioma Nwaorgu is a Professor of Parasitology and a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science. She was also a former Takemi Fellow at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and served as the Technical Officer and Global Health Leadership Fellow for the Roll Back Malaria Initiative in Nigeria. She has a track record of initiating and completing various projects, including the Assessment of the capacity of project management units in 12 States of Nigeria’s National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) with support from the Global Fund for Malaria HIV/AIDS, Collaborative research with The Kitasato Institute on the Community Health Benefit of Ivermectin Research, as well as other WHO/TDR supported research projects in communicable diseases. Emeritus Prof. Obioma has also served in the Enugu State Implementation Committee on Nigeria Child Rights and in the Federal Ministry of Health Committee on Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Dr Obinna I. Ekwunife

Implementation Science and Health economics | Project Manager I

Obinna is experienced in health economic evaluation, evidence-based public health, and implementation research including cluster randomized trials. He is currently working as a health economist and implementation scientist on different HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis delivery models in sub-Saharan Africa. He has a track record of successfully managing many projects simultaneously while working cross-functionally and meeting deadlines. He has strong analytical and strategic skills with experience in a variety of therapeutic fields, including cardiology, and infectious diseases. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Young Academy (NYA), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AVH). He was also a former Takemi Fellow at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

Pharm. Uchenna Chukwunonso Ogwaluonye

Public Health Microbiology and Implementation Research | Project Manager II

Trained as a pharmacist, Uchenna is experienced in laboratory, clinical and marketing research with an interest in identifying public health gaps within Nigerian society in aspects of virology, antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases and implementation gaps in the deployment of existing solutions. Uchenna is also a Commonwealth scholar and is currently engaged in the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) fellowship programme globally while also working locally to evaluate HIV treatment implementation and its biological impacts/implications among different cohorts in Nigeria. He is also a recipient of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene ACGH research grant and has served as the Zonal Coordinator of the Young Pharmacist Group (YPG).

Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna

Behaviour change communications | Member

Chinyere Stella OKUNNA is a Professor of Mass Communication, with a specialty in Behaviour Change Communication/Development Communication. She is the First Female Professor of Mass Communication in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

A prominent member of several professional associations, she is a Fellow of Nigerian Guild of Editors and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. She has served and continues to serve as Consultant and Resource Person for several national and international organizations including UNICEF, UNFPA, UNESCO, DFID/UKaid, FHI, SFH, the EU etc.

Her mentorship and philanthropic activities include: her Scholarship Foundation; endowment of buildings in a secondary school in her home community and at UNIZIK; annual cash prizes at UNIZIK for Best Graduating Student of Mass Communication and of Faculty of Social Sciences; annual professional cash prize for Best Ethical Journalist in Anambra State; her Mentorship Group for younger Academics, mostly in the field of Media and Communication in Nigeria and beyond.

Prof. Chinyelu Angela Ekwunife

Public Health Parasitology and Epidemiology | Member

Chinyelu Angela Ekwunife (nee Emejulu) a professor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria is a scientist that specialises in Public Health Parasitology and Epidemiology. She holds a Doctorate Degree in Parasitology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2003). She also has certificates in Molecular Biology for DNA techniques (2006); TDR/WHO Ethics in Research (2008) and WHO, TDR, certificate MOOC on Implementation Research (IR) with focus on Infectious Diseases of Poverty (IDP) 2018; The African Regional Training Centre (ARTC) in collaboration with WHO/TDR certificate on The Gender-Based Analysis for Vector Borne Diseases and Climatic Change Research(GBA) 2021; The Geneva Learning Foundation in collaboration with WHO certificate on Female Genital Schistosomiasis(FGS) 2021 among others. She is a member of WHO Social Innovation in Health Initiative NAU Research Team; a member of International Society for Infectious Disease; the immediate past National Secretary and currently the National Treasurer and a Fellow of Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria. She has successfully supervised over 40 MSc and PhD students and has over 50 publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Mr. Kingsley Chike Anigbogu

Social Scientist | Member

Kingsley is a Sociologist by training. An avid social researcher with enormous versatility in social research. His research experience include serving as a consultant on an Environmental Impact Assessment project under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Environment. He has also served as a consultant on research projects by UNICIEF and DFID-EDOREN. He has recently worked on research projects covering irregular migration, persons living with disabilities and banditry/insecurity. He is proficient in both qualitative and quantitative research methods and use of data analysis software.

Dr Ogechukwu Benedicta Aribodor

Public Health Parasitologist | Member

Ogechukwu Aribodor (PhD), a Public Health Parasitologist, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Zoology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. She is presently the Youth Champion, Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Nigeria, African Research Excellence Fund (AREF) Fellow, IS Global Barcelona Institute of Global Health Alumnus and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), School Feeding and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Advocate. Her research interest covers Infectious Diseases of Poverty with special interest in Genital Schistosomiasis, Health Systems Strengthening and Bio-remediation. Dr. Ogechukwu has organized many youth engagement outreach programs. She is open to cross-border collaborations that promote comprehensive approaches of significant contribution to the field of public health parasitology and community practice, especially providing information on the control mechanisms for NTDs, cost-effective exchange programs and the development of effective work synergies towards saving lives. Email address is og.aribodor@unizik.edu.ng. Twitter: @DrogeAribodor1

Dr Chinyere Ukamaka Onubogu

Paediatric HIV care | Member

Dr Chinyere Ukamaka Onubogu is a consultant paediatrician and senior lecturer of Paediatrics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria. Her research is centered on neonatology and paediatric infectious diseases (particularly paediatric HIV, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and childhood tuberculosis). She is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians and National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (Paediatrics Faculty), and a Masters Degree holder in Maternal and Child Health. Over the years, Dr Onubogu’s career has been focused on improving the outcomes of children and adolescents infected or affected by HIV through research, advocacy, provision of specialized clinical services, and training, supervision and mentorship of other healthcare workers. She is a member of the paediatric sub-committee of the National Task Team on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and the focal person paediatric/adolescent ART, NAUTH Nnewi. She has authored many peer reviewed publications in both local and international journals.