Dr. Uzodinma Akujekwe Adirieje is a World Bank-trained health economist and reproductive
health advocate, World
Health Organization (WHO) Scholar alumni and accompanist, Certified Management Consultant, 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,
Institute of management Consultants (FIMC); Fellow, Nigeria Association of
Evaluators (FNAE); Fellow, Institute of Management Specialists, UK (FIMS); 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 Umunkwoamam 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 Associationwww.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 Adirieje (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
