Profile of CONFERENCE/MEETINGS ORGANIZER/COORDINATOR, Nigeria (Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje)

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is a Health Economist, researcher, professional manager, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocate with over twelve years of experience in managing and supporting large and small local and international conferences and meetings for over ten years. He is a Nigeria-based Professional Manager, Programmes and Projects Manager, and Health Systems Strengthening and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) consultant. Some of his post-doctoral trainings include The World Bank’s trainings in Health Economist and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). He also received series of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), Routine Immunization (RI) Leadership trainings, and Training of Trainers (ToT) from USAID/Measure Evaluation. Most of his interventions target women, youth (including adolescents), children and infants, people with disability, persons in conflict-affected areas, the poor, elderly, rural, disadvantaged and vulnerable persons. He has over a decade of experience working with Governments, Senate and House of Representatives Health and HIV/AIDS Committees, Federal and State Ministries of Health, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and line MDAs, Multi-lateral and United Nations Agencies, Development Partners, local/international NGOs/CBOs/FBOs at National, State, Local Government and Community/Ward levels, and managing donor funds. Dr. Adirieje also consults for Federal Ministry of Health, UNAIDS, UNDP, ILO, Unicef, Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Adirieje is the Conference Director, Health and Food Security Summits (HEFOSS). Prior to now, he was the Technical/Programme Adviser and Consultant for the 1^st Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum [BHPF2013] Abuja Nigeria, organized by the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) in collaboration with NACA, UNAIS, SFH and IPH/OAU, 18-20 November 2013; as well as Conference Coordinator/Technical Consultant for the 2^nd High Level Meeting of the GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa [GPWNA] held in Abuja in July 2013 organized by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United Nations System, and African Union, at which 70 Countries and International Organisations were represented by 127 Ministers, 98 Judges and Parliamentarians, 75 UN/AU Regional Representatives, 488 members of the Civil Society Organizations, 198 members of the private sector and 23 top gender advocates including President Goodluck Jonathan. 

Uzodinma was the Conference Coordinator/Head of the Secretariat of the Nigeria National Health Conferences (NHCs) during 2006 and 2009 organised by HERFON in collaboration with the UK Department for International Affairs (DfID) at which over four hundred (400) participants attended including President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Obong Uffot Ekaete; Hon. Minister of Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, the Hon. Minister of State for Health, Hajiya (Arch.) Halima Alao, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health (also Chairman of the Steering Committee of NHC 2006), Senator I.S. Martyns-Yellowe, Chairman House of Representative Committee on Health, Hon. Dr. Aminu Safana, Commissioners of Health from states of the federation, state permanent secretaries, the Director-General of National Agency for Food, Drug and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili, among so many others. He also served as the Conference Coordinator for the National Conference on Adequate Infant Nutrition in 2009, and presented a paper at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico in 2008.

Dr. Adirieje was the report writer/documentation consultant to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and World Bank on the 2007 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Summit, in which I actively participated. He was the Coordinator of the annual general meetings/conferences of the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) in 2006 and 2008 in Bauchi and Abeokuta respectively. Uzodinma served as the Programme Manager and Secretary of the International and National Steering Committees for the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) which Nigeria hosted in Abuja in 2005. Prior to this, he founded and moderated the ICASA2005 Forum; and was an onsite reporter for the Health and Development Network of United Kingdom ICASA2003 in Nairobi, Kenya. Armed with a docatoral degree obtained in 1988, Dr. Adirieje has received further trainings in Health Systems Strengthening and Health Insurance/Financing from Brazil’s University of Sao Paulo –affiliated institution. His numerous further trainings and experience have enabled him to work as a Researcher, Resource Person, Evaluator, Trainer/Capacity Builder, Health Systems Strengthening and Organizational Development specialist, Reproductive Health Advocate, Professional Projects/Programme Manager, Blogger/writer/columnist and Civil Society campaigner/activist.

Uzo’ has received series of trainings in Projects and Programmes management, Research, Leadership and Organizational Development, Health Systems Strengthening, Fundraising and Resource Mobilization, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) from various organizations including Measure Evaluation/USAID. He has received the following additional M&E/evidence-generation related trainings from the USAID/Measure Evaluation/MSH: Optimizing your M&E team's performance: Improving internal communication and dealing with conflict; Overcoming the challenge of building and leading effective M&E teams for public sector, NGO and civil society organizations; The Virtual Leadership Development Programme (a Diploma course); Country Ownership & Organizational Capacity Building; and Creating an Enabling Environment for M&E Community of Practice [CoP]. He also received training in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Data Management; use and application of QuickBooks software; and Peer Participatory Rapid Health Assessment for Action (PPRHAA). Dr. Adirieje is a World Bank-trained Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocate and Health Economist, with involvement in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as an implementer, supervisor and trainer since 2010. He also holds a doctoral degree in Optometry from the College of Medicines and Health Sciences of Imo (now Abia) State University in 1988. A widely-travelled person, Uzodinma is a Fellow of the Academy for Capacity Building (FACB), member of the management steering committee of the Nigeria Association of Evaluators (NAE) and belongs to several professional bodies including the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM).

He is the CEO of Health Systems & Projects Consultants Ltd; National Coordinator of Afrihealth Optonet Association – a coalition/network of CSOs promoting health, community and development systems strengthening, 2012-present; National Coordinator of Coalition on Vaccines and Immunisations for All Nigerians [COVIAN]; and National Chairman of Civil Society Partnership for Development in Nigeria [CSPDN]. Previously, he worked as the Administrative Secretary, National Programmes Coordinator and Director Planning & Development at the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), 2010-2011; Programme Manager for Advocacy and Communications at Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), 2005-2009; Programme Manager at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICACA), 2005; Executive Director at Optonet International, 1995-2004; and Clinician at Adirivision Clinics, 1990-2004.