Educational/professional background
I studied Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and completed postgraduate clinical training in Psychiatry through the West African College of Physicians (WACP). I hold two master’s degrees:
- MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health from University of Ibadan, Nigeria
- MSc Global Mental Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), jointly delivered with King’s College London
I currently serve as Head of the Department of Mental Health at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, and as an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. I am also a Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry and Global Mental Health at University of Abuja, and a Research Affiliate at the Department of Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. My work bridges clinical care, academic leadership, and global mental health innovation.
I’ve received several international awards for my contributions, including:
- Chevening Scholarship
- Johnson & Johnson Global Mental Health Scholarship
- World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Fellowship Award
- Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology (JSPN) Fellowship Award
- World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Young Investigator Award (2024)
- Research Fellowship of the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP) (2023)
What I Enjoyed Most About Studying at LSHTM
LSHTM offered a transformative and intellectually rich experience. The diversity of disciplinary backgrounds within my cohort created a dynamic learning environment where ideas were challenged, perspectives were broadened, and lifelong collaborations were born. I particularly valued the modules “Design and Evaluation of Mental Health Programmes” and “Mental Health Economic Evaluation,” which equipped me with the tools to build scalable, context-sensitive interventions in low-resource settings.
What I have been doing since graduating
Since completing my MSc at LSHTM, I’ve continued to deepen my clinical and research work while expanding my global impact. I serve as Co-Principal Investigator of a 40-country research project on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our paper (COMET-G) received the ECNP Citation Award (2024) for being the most cited publication in the European Neuropsychopharmacology journal over the past two years.
I founded and led the Safe Brain Organisation, a non-profit charity dedicated to transforming youth mental health through advocacy, culturally grounded interventions, and policy innovation.
I also created Pursue Excellence Global, a dignity-centred mental health framework that integrates emotional resilience, ethical leadership, and inclusive education. Originally designed for final-year medical students and young professionals, the framework is now expanding to support educators, health institutions, and youth across sectors. Grounded in lived experience—including my own—it is currently being considered for regional adoption through the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and its continental network.
As a Research Affiliate at King’s College London, I continue to collaborate on global mental health research, with a focus on youth mental health systems, ethical leadership, and culturally responsive care in low- and middle-income countries.
Finally, I continue to serve as an LSHTM Alumni Ambassador—mentoring prospective students and championing the life-changing, world-class education that LSHTM offers. It’s an honour to represent an institution ranked #2 globally in Public Health, and to carry its values into every corner of my work.