Dr. Uzodinma Akujekwe Adirieje is a World Bank-trained health
economist and reproductive health advocate, projects/programmes manager and
evaluator, and primary healthcare activist; working as a health, community and
development programs/projects management consultant, trainer/capacity-builder
and researcher. He is also a resource person/facilitator, trainer, community
leader, negotiator, advocate, author/writer and columnist based in Nigeria;
constantly driven by a raw passion for success and wholesome commitment to
Health, HIV/AIDS, TB, Nutrition, Environment, Peace-building and Development. Fellow
Nigeria Association of Evaluators (FNAE), Fellow International Institute for
Leadership (FIL), Fellow Association for Capacity Development (FACD), Member of
the Nigerian Institute of Management (MNIM), Associate Member of the Chartered
Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (ACIPM), and member of the Knights
of St. John International (KSJ).
Early Life, Education, further
Trainings, Professional Activities
Dr.
Uzodinma Adirieje was born into the famous Orume kindred in Umuogueri village,
Ebenasaa Amaruru autonomous community, Orsu Local Government Area, Imo State of
Nigeria. He is the second child of late Honourable Chief Adirieje Fredrick
Akujekwe and late Ezinne Lolo Esther Ahuruchianya Adirieje Akujekwe (nee
Ezeanyika) Tuesday, Afo, 25 February 1964. He attended Community Primary School
I Amaruru between 1971 and 1976; and immediately proceeded to Eziachi Secondary
School Eziachi Orlu in September 1976. He sat for the General Certificate of
Education (WAEC) examination in 1981 and made three alpha and five credits in
one seating, following which he attended the Imo State University Okigwe (now
Abia State University Uturu) where he earned a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.)
degree from the university’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences in 1988.
His other
academic pursuits include the following:
- Federal Government of Nigeria certified consultant trainer by the Centre for Management Development (CMD) Lagos, 2017
§ 2017 – Advanced Management Trainers
Development Workshop (Advanced Mandev); CMD Lagos, 6-17 March 2017
- Post-Graduate Certificate (Health Economics), 2006
- MNIM (2001) i.e. Member, Nigeria Institute of Management
- ACIPM (1996) i.e. Associate, Chartered Inst. of Personnel Management of Nigeria
- FAOA (2014) i.e. Fellow, Afrihealth Optonet Association
- FNAE (2015), i.e. Fellow, Nigeria Evaluation Association
- FIL (2016) i.e. Fellow, International Institute of Leadership
§ 2015 – Result-Based Management; Unicef,
16-17 November 2015
§ 2014 – Management Trainers Development
Workshop (Basic Mandev); Centre for Management Development (CMD) Lagos, 27
October – 7 November 2014
§ 2014 – Electronic Learning Workshop for
Trainers; CMD Lagos, 15-19 September 2014
§ 2014 - Management in Health, World Bank
Institute, 19 March – 30 April
§ 2014 – Social and Behaviour Change
Communication, IPAS, 17-21 March
§ 2014 – Presidential Summit on Universal
Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria, Abuja, 6-10 March 2014
§ 2014 – Reproductive Health Course, World
Bank Institute, 6 February – 19 March
§ 2014 – Workshop to Develop
Investment Incentives for the Health Sector, 6 March 2014; FMOH/IFC/NIPC
§ 2013 – The Virtual Leadership Development
Programme, 21 January – 12 April 2013, USAID/Measure Evaluation/MSH
§ 2013 – Optimizing your M&E team's
performance: Improving internal communication and dealing with conflict, 16-18
September 2013, USAID/Measure Evaluation/MSH
§ 2013 - Overcoming the challenge of
building and leading effective M&E teams for public sector, NGO and civil
society organizations, 4-8 February 2013, USAID/Measure Evaluation/MSH
§ 2012 - Creating an Enabling Environment
for M&E CoP, 30 January – 3 February 2012, USAID/Measure Evaluation/MSH
§ 2012 –
International Seminar on Building
sustainable organizational capacity to strengthen Monitoring and Evaluation
(M&E) practice for public sector, NGO and civil society organizations, Management Sciences for Health, 30.01.12 –
03.02.12
§ 2012 - Country Ownership &
Organizational Capacity Building, 30 April – 4 May 2012, USAID/Measure
Evaluation/MSH
§ 2012 – Gender and Sustainable Development
Training Workshop; Centre for Management Development and African
Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF),
Ado Ekiti, 24 – 28 September 2012
§ 2012 - Building sustainable organizational
capacity for public sector, NGO and civil society organizations: A framework to
address the challenge”, February 27 – March 2, 2012, USAID/Measure
Evaluation/MSH
§ 2012 – Decade of Vaccines [DoV]
Collaboration Civil Society Consultation, DoV Collaboration Secretariat,
Barcelona Institute for Global Health; 10-11 January, Leuven, Belgium
§ 2011 – Energy Efficiency Sensitization
Workshop, Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Abuja, 22 December 2011
§ 2011 – First National Forum on Renewable
Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, ECN, Abuja, 19-20 December 2011
§ 2011 – National Sensitization Workshop for
Political Stakeholders, National Assembly, Abuja, 19-20 December 2011
§ 2011 – Project Management Professional
Course, Project Management Institute (USA), Abuja, 18-16 October 2011
§ 2011 – Training on Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
and Data Management, 19-21 May, Abuja Nigeria
§ 2011 – Training on QuickBooks software,
29-31 March, Abuja, Nigeria
- 2010 – Emerging Strategies to Combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria: Enhancing Prevention and HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT), 11-12 October, REACH, Abuja
- 2010 – The Global Fund training on Proposal and Report Writing, Abuja
§ 2009
- Training in Palliative Care for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs),
Abuja, Nigeria, 23-25 June
§ 2007 – Managing Organisational Change for
Strategic Transformation, Nigerian Institute of Management, Abuja, Nigeria, 5-9
November
§ 2007 – Basic Health Economics Course,
May-June 2007, World Bank Institute Washington
§ 2006 – Leadership Skills Development
Training for the Revitalisation of Immunisation Services in Nigeria, Abuja
Nigeria, 31 July – 1 August 2006
§ 2006 – Health System and Health Insurance
Schemes Study/Capacity-Building Workshops/Tour of Brazil, Sao Paulo and
Brasilia, 13-21 May 2006
§ 2006 – Project Planning and Proposal
Development Course, Abuja, Nigeria, 24-28 April 2006, Management Strategies for
Africa (MSA)
- 2006 – Monitoring and Evaluation using Peer participatory Rapid Health Appraisal for Action (PPRHAA), a Training of Trainers’ Course, Jos, Nigeria, April 4-12 2006, DFID/PATHS
- 2005 – Programmes Management Training, Abuja, Nigeria; by Shocklogic Global (UK) Ltd
- 2004 – International Health Writing Course on Evidence-Based Health Care, Lagos, Nigeria, BMJ West Africa and AMREF, 2004
- 2002 – Cyberwar, Netwar and the Revolution in Military Affairs – Real Threats and Virtual Myths, Trento, Italy, 3-13 August, International School of Disarmament and Research on Conflict (ISODARCO), 2002
- 1992-2001 – Nigerian Institute of Management: Professional Manager (MNIM)
- 1992-1996 – Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria: Associate (ACIPM)
- 1982 – Federal School of Arts and Sciences, Ondo: Lower Six, 1982
As a
professional project/programme manager, Dr.
Adirieje has served as project director or manager of the following health and
human development projects:
§
Project
Director; Sustainable Citizens Participation [SCP] in Nigeria’s Niger Delta
region – a 24 months (January 2017 – December 2018) project implemented by
Afrihealth Optonet Association www.afrihealthcsos.org and funded by the United Nations
Democracy Fund (UNDEF) for the purpose of empowering one hundred and seventeen
civil society organizations to work in the nine States of the Niger Delta, in
each of their twenty-seven senatorial zones, to promote community-nominated
projects in eighty-one communities/political wards;
§
Project
Coordinator; AIDs Care and Treatment in Nigeria Plus Up (ACTION Plus Up) with
support from the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN). This project is
currently providing free HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) and other preventions
in AMAC, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and environs; 2015-2016
- Organizing/Technical Consultant, Nigeria National Cervical Cancer Screening Scale-up Project Implementing Partners Conference/Meeting, Abuja, 2015
- Technical Consultant/Coordinator, 1st 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
- Technical Consultant/Adviser to the Hon. Minister of State I, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2nd GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa High Level Meeting (HLM) Abuja 2013, organized by the Government of Nigeria in collaboration with the African Union and with support of UNAIDS; 27-28 June
- Consultant Facilitator/Resource Person, 55th National Council on Health meeting of Federal and all State Ministries of Health in Nigeria, Abuja, 16-20 July 2012
- National Consultant for the ‘Development of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria Comprehensive Manual of Procedures’ for Nigeria, 2012
- Technical Consultant to the Country Coordination Mechanism [CCM]/Global Fund [GF], on oversight visitations to Global Fund’s Health Systems Strengthening, HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria projects and sites in Kebbi, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom States;
- National Consultant to Federal Ministry of Health and Unicef, Nigeria, for the Joint Annual Review [JAR] of National Strategic Health Sector Development Plan [SHDP] in Akwa Ibom State, February-March 2012
- Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)/consultant to UNAIDS/ILO/UNDP/NACA on ‘Situational Assessment for a National Framework for Private Sector Response and Public-Private Partnerships on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, 2004-2005
- National Consultant, Development of Global Fund Comprehensive Manual of Procedures, for the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), 2012
- GAVI Consultant for monthly routine immunization (RI) monitoring, evaluation and supportive supervision in 250 (two hundred and fifty) Primary Health Care Centres in the twenty-seven LGAs in Imo State, 2012-2014
- 2012 - National Consultant for the Development of Imo State Multisectoral HIV & AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 2012-2016
§
Trainer/Facilitating Consultant, AIDS, TB and Malaria (ATM)
national Networks Leaders’ Training on the Coordination and Management of ATM
Networks CSOs’ Activities for ACOMIN, CiSHAN and TB Networks, Actionaid
Nigeria/Global Fund; 21-25.05.2012
- Programmes consultant, International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), Abuja, Nigeria; 2005
- Project Director, ‘Using Advocacy and Immunisation Opportunity to control Vitamin A deficiency Diseases (VADD): projects featuring VAD talks, IECs, advocacy for usingimmunization as opportunity for vitamin A fortification and vitamin A capsule supplementation, in 7 Rural Communities and 8 Children’s Schools in Lagos State; and provision of awareness for the vitamin A rich foods that abound in and around the community (Badagry, Alausa, Kirikiri, Egbe, Isheri Olofin, Ijeshatedo & Aguda); 1997-2003
- Principal Investigator (PI), Study of the Prevalence, Management Practices and Preventive Strategies of Diabetic Retinopathy in Lagos State, Nigeria’, 2000-2002; sponsored by American Diabetes Association
As a
leader, Dr. Adirieje has
served/continues to serve in the following positions:
- Chief Executive Officer/National Coordinator, Afrihealth Optonet Association [civil society organizations network], Nigeria; 2012 – present
- Country Director & Lead Facilitator, Health Systems & Projects Consultants Ltd <www.hspconsults.com>, 2012-present
- National Chairman, Civil Society Partnership for Dev’t in Nigeria [CSPDN], 2014-present
- President, Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN), 2013-present
- National Coordinator, Coalition on Vaccines, Vitamins and Immunisation for All Nigerians [CoVIAN]; 2012-present
- LOC Chairman & Conference Coordinator, 10th National Conference on Divine Mercy Devotion Nigeria (Abuja2016)
- President, City & Hamlet Cooperative Society Ltd, FHA Lugbe, Abuja, 2011-2014
- President, Civil Society Energy Platform [CiSEP], 2012 – 2013
- President, Abia State University Alumni Association Abuja, 2012-present
- Grand Chief Protocol Officer, Knights of St. John Int’l (KSJI), Abuja Grand Commandery, 2012
- Chief Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abuja Archdiocesan Catholic Men Organization (AACMO), 2013-5
- Chairman, Lugbe Deanery Catholic Men Organisation [CMO], Archdiocese of Abuja, 2012 - present
- Commander, Knights of St. John Int’l (KSJI) St. Agnes Commandery 648, Wuye Abuja
- President, CMO, St. Martin’s Parish, FHA Lugbe, Archdiocese of Abuja, 2010-present
- Administrative Secretary/Head of Management, Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria [CiSHAN], 2010-11
- Head of Secretariat, Nigeria National Health Conferences (NHCs), 2006-2009
- Coordinator, Partnership for the National Conference on Adequate Infant Nutrition in Nigeria, 2008-09
- Advocacy & Communications Manager and HIVAIDS Advisor, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria [HERFON] , 09/07 – 12/09
- Resource Centre Manager, HERFON, 11/05 – 08/07
- Program Manager, Int’l Conf on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) , 01/05 – 10/05
- President-General, Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos, 2005-7
- Executive Coordinator (R&D), Afrihealth Information Projects, 1997-2005
- Executive Director, Optonet International; 01/95 – 12/04
- Secretary General, Afrihealth Optonet Association, 2003-present
- Director, Adirivision Clinics Ltd, 01/90 – 12/94
- National Service (NYSC), Health Services Management Board, Gongola State
- Secretary General, Afrihealth Optonet Association , 2000-present
- National Coordinator, Coalition on Vaccines, Vitamins and Immunization for All Nigeria [CoVIAN], 2012-present
- Secretary, International and National Scientific Committees of ICASA2005
Over
the years, Dr. Adirieje worked as the Administrative Secretary/Head of
Management and Programmes Coordinator of the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in
Nigeria [CiSHAN], Programme Manager for Advocacy and Communications in Health
Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), Executive Coordinator of Afrihealth
Information Projects, and Programme Manager for the International Conference on
AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) 2005. He’s a rich consultancy experience such
as working for the African Union, The UN System, Federal Government of Nigeria
and GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa [GPWNA] as the Technical/Programme
Consultant for the 2nd High Level Meeting of the GPWNA in 2013,
Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI)/National Primary Health
Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Routine Immunization consultant for Imo State
; Technical Consultant to the Country Coordinating Mechanism [CCM] Nigeria for
Global Fund. Uzodinma also served as Unicef’s technical consultant for the 2013
National Council on Health (NCH);
Technical Consultant for the training and development of the Monitoring and
Evaluation Plan of the Imo State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (IMOSACA)
in 2012; Development of the Comprehensive Global Fund Manual of the National
Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA); Technical/Programme Adviser and
Consultant for the 2013 Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum and Co-Principal
Investigator for the Situational Analysis of Public Private Partnership (PPP)
for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in 2004-5. Additionally, he was the Project Coordinator
for National Health Conferences in 2006 and 2009; and for the National
Conference on Adequate Infant Nutrition in 2008; and Project Coordinator for
the Study of the Impact, Challenges and Long-Term Implications of
Antiretroviral Therapy Programme in Nigeria in 2006-7. Dr. Adirieje has 10
years’ experience implementing large-scale and complex monitoring and
evaluations, and surveys to collect individual, household, community and
facility level data. He was a Trainer/Resource Person
and Supervisor, training of 125 persons from the 36 States and FCT on
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), and supervised the M&E of the
Home-Based Care component of the Global Fund Round 9 in the 36 States and FCT
under the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria during 2010-2011. He was
the consultant to Federal Ministry of
Health and Unicef, Nigeria, for the Joint Annual Review [JAR] of National
Strategic Health Sector Development Plan [SHDP] in Akwa Ibom State in
2012. He is a Health Systems and Organizational Development specialist, with
major subjects of interest include the MDGs, Primary Health Care;
conferences/meetings/workshops, blindness and nutritional problems; Health
Sector Reforms; Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Health Promotion, Healthcare
Financing/Insurance and Peace-building. He has requisite knowledge and
demonstrated capabilities/capacities for Programs/Projects and Organizational
management and administration, Excellent writing and public speaking skills, Research/Evidence-generation,
Partnerships building/coordination and management, Advocacy, social
mobilisation and communication, Capacity-building/training and facilitation,
Outreaches and community-based interventions. He publishes in his blog at
http://druzodinmadirieje.blogspot.com.ng.ng, e-forums, online, journals and
newspapers. Dr. Uzo’ as he’s fondly called, is the Executive Director of
Afrihealth Optonet Association – a coalition/network of CSOs promoting health,
community and development systems strengthening; National Coordinator of
Coalition on Vaccines and Immunisations for All Nigerians [COVIAN]; National
Chairman of Civil Society Partnership for Dev’t in Nigeria [CSPDN]; and Country
Director/CEO of Health Systems & Projects Consultants Ltd; among others.
Dr. Adirieje has been featured in
the following national and international biographies:
2010 Who is Who in Nigeria, by Newswatch
Communications
2006 Great Minds of the 21st Century,
by American Biographical Institute (ABI), 2006/2007 Ed
2006 Igbo Icons, Nigeria
2005 Who is Who in Igboland
2004 Orsu LGA Directory and Who’s Who
His previous awards
include:
2017 Conferred
with the title of ‘High-Chief UGWUMBA’
jointly by traditional rulers of Amaruru and Ebenasaa in Orsu LGA of Imo State
2016 Grand Patron, Orsu LGA Towns Development
Union [OLGADU] Lagos, Nigeria
2016 Conferred
with the Chieftaincy title of ‘Ahaejiejemba
Ndi Igbo, Lagos State’
2016 Conferred
with the Chieftaincy title of ‘Ahaejiejemba
of Ebenasaa’ Autonomous Community, Orsu LGA, Imo State
2015 Pillar of the Catholic Men Organization
[CMO], Lugbe Deanery, Abuja Archdiocese
2015 Bronze couple award the CMO, Lugbe Deanery,
Abuja Archdiocese
2015 Epitome of Integrity award by CMO of Our Lady
Queen of Nigeria pro-cathedral, Abuja
2014 Merit Award of Leadership and Role Model by
Merit Time International
2014 West African Leadership Icons gold award by
Global Vision Communications
2014 Distinguished Leadership Award from the Imo
State Towns Dev’t Association Women Wing Lagos
2014 Exemplary Leadership Award from the Catholic
Men Organization (CMO), St. Kizito Parish, Kuje Abuja
2013 Patron
of St. Cecilia Choir, St. Martin Catholic Parish, Lugbe Abuja (2013)
2011 Award of Excellence in Public Health Care
Management, Orsu L.G.A. Towns
Development Union Lagos
2010 Grand Patron, Imo State Towns Development
Association
2009 Ambassador of Education, Imo State
Government/Orsu Local Government Council
2009 Patron, St. Cecilia Choir, St. Martin’s
Parish, Lugbe Abuja
2007 International Health Professional of the
Year, by International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England
2005 Man of Achievement Award, by American
Biographical Institute (ABI)
2005 Youth of the Year, by Amaruru Youth Forum,
Orsu LGA, Imo State
2005 Honourary chieftaincy title of Ahaejiejemba I of Amaruru, jointly
conferred by His Royal Highness, Eze WO Igwe, Ozuo-omee 1 (traditional ruler of
Amaruru), the Eze-In-Council of Amaruru autonomous community, and the Amaruru
Development Union, Orsu LGA, Imo State, Nigeria
2004 Great Mind of the 21st Century,
by American Biographical Institute (ABI)
2003 National Patron, Federation of Orsu LGA
Students Association (FOSA)
2002 Patron, Federation of Orsu LGA Students
Association (FOSA), University of
Nigeria, Nsukka
2001 Service Award, Imo State Towns Development
Association (ISTDA) Lagos
1999 Honourary
member, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Orsu LGA
1998 Merit Award; Orsu L.G.A. Towns Development
Union Lagos
1997 Merit Award in Community Eye Care, Iganmu
and the Council of Chiefs, Lagos
1996 Rotary International Presidential
Recognition for Membership Growth, 1995/96
1994 Life Member, Nigeria-Britain Association
1994 Rotary International District 9110
Governor’s Distinguished Service Award, 1993/94
Dr. Uzo’ is married to his heartthrob and best friend
Lady Edith Uzoadirieje (LSJ) who also holds the titles of Ugosimba of Amaruru Clan and Eziadaukwu
of Assah Ubirielem, Orsu LGA; and they are blessed with three children.
His blog is
at http://druzodinmadirieje.blogspot.com
