By Francis Nnama
Born medical doctor, an entrepreneur, a motivational speaker, philanthropist and social crusader for equity and justice. Born on December 23, 1979 in the industrial town of Ishiagu, Ebonyi, Osi rose from humble beginning to where he is today and has endeavoured to pull others from the situation he once found himself.
Osi received his MBBS from the prestigious University of Benin and post-graduate training in Leadership Strategies for Evolving Health Care Executives from the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston U.S.A, in 2014.
His mission to better the lives of his people, especially the most deprived and vulnerable, started as a medical student, using part of his stipends to cater for other students. He has worked with different government and non-governmental organisations – the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC) a leading NGO on issues relating to maternal health advocacy/research and publishers of the award-winning African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH), being one of them.
Osi proceeded to the Federal Staff Hospital of the Federal Ministry of Health Annex II, Abuja, as a Medical Officer, where he distinguished himself via a remarkable doctor-patient patient and institutionalised the 24-hour service plan. Following his performance, he was invited to a highly competitive interview for the Medical Department of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after which he was appointed head of its medical team during which he designed and institutionalised the Staff Fitness Programme, as well as a lecture series on health and other topical issues at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja.
As he proved himself more dependable and important to the government, new responsibilities came his way and, in no time, he was appointed Senior Manager, Standard and Quality Assurance (SQA) by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Abuja. During his service at the NHIS he participated in the accreditations of Healthcare Providers and Health Maintenance organisations (HMOs) across Nigeria and assisted the scheme in the development of the Performance Management Protocol.
Osi was one of the facilitators of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program with a maternal and child health component (SURE-P-MCH), an initiative to implement this special presidential project under the supervision of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA). Also, he was instrumental to the establishment of the National Logistics Management Information System for the programme, with technical support from the USAID/Deliver Project. However, the SURE-P-MCH remains the largest single intervention programme on maternal and child health in the sub-region, with the supply of free drugs and medical consumables among other interventions in the 1000 PHCs across the 36 states and FCT, resulting in the reduction of maternal and child mortality rates within three (3) years.
Osi pioneered a novel community service scheme to provide access to education through his scholarship and educational support programme. He has continued to provide food and shelter to orphans and widows, as well as give assistance to other indigents in need of humanitarian assistance. Today, he is a community advocate, peace ambassador and youth negotiator in the South-eastern part of the country, thanks to his core leadership skills developed during his time as a leader of the Students’ Union Government at the University of Benin – a position he used to improve student-lecturer relations and reduce students’ restiveness.
In 2015, he floated another organisation, the Gideon and Joy Life and Leadership Foundation, a Nigerian based and privately funded philanthropic organisation dedicated to the promotion of excellence in health services, youth development, skills’ acquisition, business leadership, entrepreneurship training and good governance.
Enhancing social capital development and informed political participation through mentoring/leadership training, free medical missions, youth development, guiding adolescents, health programmes, educational support programme and improve the competitiveness of Nigeria and Africa’s private sector participation in health and good governance.
Aslo, Osi is the convener of Save the Peace Initiative of Nigeria (SPIN), a national peace-building and youth re-orientation organization that has negotiated peaceful resolution of inter-ethnic, inter-tribal and inter-religious crises in Nigeria.
Osi is a distinguished medical doctor and politician, a refined strategist, a social crusader with the capacity to catalyze youth reorientation and development; a bridge-builder and a detribalized Nigerian with novel initiatives focused on building a new Nigeria that will revolve around private sector participation and high level capacity development for the youths and their communities.
We celebrate Dr. Osi, an emerging rainbow from the South East, a medical doctor and public health advocate, an educationist, philanthropist and the LEADERSHIP Scorecard Youth Leader of the Year 2017.
