For three consecutive days, it’s been all excitement and fun but today, things took a different turn. IFUMSAITES weren’t in the theatre exploring art and medicine, nor were they out on the field hosting medical outreaches for the public— instead, they gathered for a conference at the Clinical Skills Centre to talk about the future of medicine in Nigeria including workforce policies and system reforms. At about nine in the morning, the hall was ready, with music setting a cool, welcoming ambiance. Just before ten, The Corporate MC mounted the podium, promising plenty of giveaways, which set a relaxed and excited mood for the event.
Marvellous Omojuyigbe, the IFUMSA President, opened the conference with a speech. He stated that the pause in the healthcare system as a result of the current strike affects him deeply, and he also hoped that everyone present would benefit from the conference. Afterwards, representing Prof. Salako, the Dean of Clinical Sciences, Dr. Adepiti gave the opening address. He encouraged IFUMSAITES to stand together and stressed the importance of building a lasting network.
Dr. Mujidat Babah gave the first keynote speech. She spoke about the state of crisis, the brain drain, and inconsistencies in the health sector. She then spoke about EHA Clinic, where she works, and its aim to provide uncompromised patient-centered care and pursue relentless digitalization. “If we are to reform the healthcare system, we must make the quality of care safe.” She concluded by challenging us, saying: “You are the generation that will continue and finalize healthcare reforms.” She also added that they are working on providing mentorships and internships for IFUMSAITES at EHA clinics, to which the audience responded with loud applause.
Next was the fireside chat. Prof. Ijadunola, Prof. Kolawole, and Prof. Komolafe—highly distinguished professionals—sat down to talk about medical education and brain drain in Nigeria. They discussed in detail the problems that medical schools encounter in the country, ways to redesign medical training for better outcomes, the workforce challenges hospitals face, and interventions aimed at addressing brain-drain problems. The fireside chat ended with all the speakers giving valuable pieces of advice to the medical students in the audience.
Prof. John Okeniyi, the Chief Medical Director of OAUTHC, delivered the second keynote speech. He addressed the question of whether Nigeria’s healthcare can be fixed in our lifetime. Prof. pointed at the trajectory of some countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Rwanda, and the transformation in their healthcare systems. And that gives hope for a country like Nigeria. He emphasized that Nigerians must tackle the healthcare system’s problems from the grassroots and take responsibility for this cause. Prof. Okeniyi concluded his speech by declaring that the baton has been passed and the moment to act is now.
The MC welcomed the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Bernice Adegbehingbe, to the conference. The Provost then presented awards to Prof. Okeniyi, Dr. Mujidat, Prof. Kolawole, and Prof. Ijadunola. She commended for their contributions to healthcare in Nigeria and globally. Professor Okeniyi, in turn, presented awards to Dr. Michael Ajillo’s representative, Prof. Komolafe, and to Prof. Kolawole on behalf of Dr. Oluyemi Badero.
The Provost also gave a speech encouraging everyone in attendance to apply everything they had learned during the conference. The elevator pitch took place after. There were five finalists, and each had five minutes to present their pitch to the audience. The finalists presented their ideas on topics ranging from maternal mortality to the administration of emergency care.
Alongside Promise Oladejo, Adebowale Bello from Datelinehealth Africa had an interactive session on health policies. He encouraged the audience, emphasizing that everyone can contribute to effective health advocacy. A QR code was provided for participants of the conference interested in starting their journey in policy advocacy and implementation.
Shortly afterwards, the three winners of the elevator pitch were presented with cash prizes, and all five finalists were offered mentorship by EHA Clinic. The Vice President, Funmi Sopade, promised that the pitch at next year’s conference will be bigger and better.
The Health Conference Co-lead, Owoyemi Adesewa, gave the closing remarks. She thanked everyone for coming, thereby bringing the 38th Health Week Conference to a close.
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