Francis Ohanyido

From NigerianWiki

Born in the North-Central city of Jos after the Nigerian -Biafran Civil War of Ufuma heritage is probably one of Nigeria's remarkable figures of his generation. He has carved a niche for himself as multi-layered intellectual (Poet, Essayist, Painter, Scientist) and Social Advocate.

Description

• • Born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
  • Occupation Author ,Physician and project manager
  • Nationality Nigerian
  • Notable award(s) St. Piran’s Prize in Poetry, Jos -1996

[edit] Technology Sans Frontières

In 2003, as a result of the strong need to bridge the digital divide in healthcare in low-income settings like his home nation, coupled with his studies in computer applications in healthcare in University of Jos (CCA), he set up the web-based Nigerian Telemedicine Development Alliance (NTDA). This body was to serve as a fulcrum for online outreach and advocacy for telemedicine infrastructure in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. He has theorised on models for the possible cost-effective delivery of Telemedicine in Nigeria. This singular effort by NTDA and other associates led to the development of strong interest on the part of the Federal Government of Nigeria to consider further studies and possible approaches to deployment of e-Health structures.He is presently a board member and Deputy Secretary General of the Society for telemedicine and eHealth in Nigeria (SFTeHIN). He has advocated to Nigeria and other countries in the low resource bracket to start thinking strategically ahead on smart investments in basic information and communications technologies (ICTs) to support their educational and health systems which can lead to a turnaround in global capacity to help solve mankind’s growing problems. The gates to this, he has suggested, will be by providing basic educational opportunities for all children and setting up efficient systems to keep track of learning trends and adaptively working to create a kind of flexible learning framework and knowledge management structure as part of a wider e-learning strategy. This will be able to ride on a system that allows research to inform policy.

[edit] Global Health

In the course of his work in international health, he has at various times collaborated or worked on platforms/ projects in the sector with WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNIFEM, USAID, WB, OXFAM, GCAP, and many other international organisations. Most recently, he occupies a strategic advocacy position in Nigerian public health as the Special Advisor to the 36,000 member strong Nigerian Medical Association [1] in the development sector. Most recently , he had worked as the Project Manager (Support) under the aegis of Community Participation for Action in the Social Sectors (COMPASS), a USAID- funded integrated project . By 2009, COMPASS goal was able to improve the health and education status of several million Nigerians in communities spread across four states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory. While on the management and technical team, he had worked to ensure that the project developed and documented best -practices for Nigeria to scale up in the current USAID/ TSHIP in Bauchi and Sokoto states. Ohanyido is currently the Chief of Projects /Team Leader Africa for Synergy PMP a leading for -profit firm working in Nigeria's development sector.

In 2007 , he was one of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) group delegates to the 2nd Nigeria in Diaspora Day and 3rd Science and Technology Conference where he made technical inputs in health on the issues and possible solutions ,such as integrated maternal newborn and child health (IMNCH) strategy. He is a member of the Core Technical Committee working with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) of Nigeria with guidance from World Health Organisation (WHO) to implement the program. He has also been a member of the National Malaria in Pregnancy Working Group (MIPWG) under the FMoH and the global working group under WHO, as well as a delegate to the National malaria Control Programme Review Committee (NMCPRC).

Further more, he was also a COMPASS/NMA technical delegate to the stakeholders summit in Nigerian medical sector for the development of a national framework and modality for implementation of a Continuous Medical Examination (CME)/ Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

[edit] Afriquest Initiative and the Neo-African Renaissance

In the early years back in 1990, he convened what is now referred to as the Afriquest Initiative towards neo-African renaissance in Jos, Nigeria. It was a watershed in the Nigerian art sphere that gave rise to the concept of Afrisecaism. [2] Ohanyido’s writings, often classified as Afrisecal Movement draw on basic African experience including myths and traditions with contemporary ideograms. He is widely published in electronic and print media; Clankind (2005); and Memories of Aidi (all collections of poems. Among Essays include A Vision without measure; A Neo-African Renaissance (2004) and Dearth of Honour (2006) and over forty other essays on health, politics, history, religion and philosophy. His path as a renown Nigerian poet and writer [3] was further highlighted when as an undergraduate medical student, he had been voted the Poet Laureate of St. pirans' national Youth week in 1996 for his poem 'Be Alert'. [4] He is presently the chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kaduna Chapter as well as the Vice-Chairman of Kaduna Writers' League (KWL), Kaduna. [5]

[edit] Advocating for Social Change

An outspoken critic of Nigerian Juntas, he had several encounters with the security apparatchiks of the late Sani Abacha, as a student activist. His Rights-focused advocacy has also been seen in his being part of notable coaliations such as Liberating the African Mind (LAM)'s European Airlines' Maltreatment of Africans Must Stop Campaign. More recently, in which he was a core signatory alongside Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu, and other notables like Noam Chomsky for the GCAP/Whiteband/OXFAM Keep your promises to end poverty ! petition to G8 Ministers in 2007. In March 2009, following national outcry on the Presidential White Paper's failure to accept some of the key recommendations of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), Dr. Ohanyido was one of the Nigerians that were invited by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems(IFES), International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI)to participate in a National Dialogue on Electoral Reform.

[edit] References