NEWS (The Sun) – Next generation Nigerian doctors being equipped with research skills – Ifediora, Associate Professor (11/06/2025)

Courtesy: The Sun News

11th June, 2025 – by Enyeribe Ejiogu

Link to original article is HERE.

Next generation Nigerian doctors being equipped with research skills – Ifediora, Associate Professor

Nigerian medical practitioner and educator, Dr. Onyebuchi Christian Ifediora, who is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Griffiths University, Queensland, Australia, is hard at work, fully focused on creating a seismic shift in the way Nigerian millennials and the GenZ generation medical students are being trained to become future doctors.

Quietly, his determined push, through OCI Foundation International, to make medical students develop passion for solid research, and gain sound academic writing skills in line with global best practices, to enable them participate in local and international research-based academic competitions, has taken strong roots. It has gained deep acceptance and endorsement by the leadership of universities, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA).

“Through my association with NIMSA, I see an opportunity to inspire the younger generation to imbibe the skills, the qualities that kind of underlie my success in life today. And that’s about literary prowess and research skills. So these two things are embodied in the Literary Award for Medical Students (LAMS), which we’ve now changed to Literary and Research Award for Medical Students (LARAMS). The project embodies what I believe can be a game changer in our training of medical students so that they come into the medical world ready to write, ready to read, ready to research. This is the key to having a medical career that will continually contribute to human development and growth,” Ifediora says with a look on his face that signposts the way to excellence in the medical world.

His intentions sound like music in the ears of 18-year-old Chiemeziem Ibezim, a 100-Level Medicine and Surgery student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who has already locked down a series of As in his first semester and is working hard to earn a very good result in the second semester, to guarantee himself a good place on the list of prelim students that will continue to 200-Level of the programme.

Interestingly, on June 5, 2025 the Foundation took steps to formally codify its successful collaboration with NiMSA by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the student body affiliated to the Nigerian Medical Association, at a simple, quiet ceremony witnessed by the Secretary General of the NMA, Dr Benjamin Egbo, and held at the NMA headquarters in Abuja.

The MOU is the legal framework for organizing the Literary Award for Medical Students (LAMS), which is described on the website of the Foundation as a “prestigious essay competition designed to identify, inspire, and reward medical students who showcase literary dexterity.” OCI is a non-profit organization focused on breaking down barriers to excellence among Nigerians through education, health, and empowerment activities.

Eligibility to participate is open to all medical students in Nigeria with valid ID cards from recognized medical schools. To participate, students submit written essays on selected topics, which are then anonymized, judged, and scored. The top three winners get cash gifts while seven additional contestants receive consolation prizes. The competition holds at national and regional levels while there are plans to expand to the United Kingdom and Australia in 2025.

The main objectives are to encourage literary and research skills among medical students, provide a platform for students to showcase their writing abilities, and foster excellence in medical practice and research. At the MOU signing ceremony, NiMSA was represented by a five-person delegation led by its President, Mr. Delhi Ahmadu Sardauna of the Ahmadu Bello University School of Medicine, Zaria, Nigeria. The Director of LAMS and the Gynocular Cancer Project of the OCI Foundation, Dr Fatima Inusa Anga, who led the organisation’s four-person team, comprising members of the OCI Abuja Advocacy Team, namely, Mrs Felicia Dagu. Mr Luter Ikyobo and Dr Etomike Obianyo.

In addition to formalizing the pre-existing relations with NIMSA, Sunday Sun learnt that Foundation is undergoing some changes in Australia, after it joined the ACFID, which is Australian Committee for International Funds Development, a big organization that is directly under the oversight of the Australian government. This is a significant milestone for the Foundation. “It’s a big thing to even get recognized in that to even get considered means you’re doing something really big at an international level. So among the requirements, we’ve had to draft up to nearly 40 policies in the last two, three months. Among the requirements is that we have a signed MOU with every organization we work with. So it came timely when that change is happening here in Australia. Going forward, we will have an MOU with every organization we will be working with in Nigeria and in Australia.”

The collaboration between OCI and NIMSA commenced in 2020, and has been held at both zonal and national levels. This year’s edition will kick off on July 1, 2025. It will mark the 5th edition of LAMS at the national level in Nigeria and the 6th edition at the Southeast Zonal level, where it first started before being extended to the national level.

“But it wasn’t such a big deal like dusting your academic brain to work because the academic brain has always been engaged even though it’s not always on the formal academic settings. Yeah, good challenge, good experience, but nothing really unusual apart from having to juggle it with other activities,” he recalled with a shrug of the shoulders.

On the focus of the doctoral study, particularly how it would add to the body of knowledge and offer practical benefits to society, Ifediora is emphatic about the academic significance and value of the work done: “I am a family physician. Ordinarily my project should be aligned with that, but the project is a hybrid that kind of intersects between education and health. Our activities at OCI Foundation focus on the tripod of education, health, and public empowerment or public welfare.

“So, my project is centred on how to optimise scholarship schemes in developing countries, and leverage that towards optimising test scores. Essentially, it is centred on how to benefit health and achieve better health outcomes. And regarding the practicalities, we did very beautiful findings. In terms of providing scholarships across Africa and the developing world, the study ultimately tried to prove that with the funds available, the same amount of funds can be used in such a way that you can inspire a larger population of people towards getting higher academic test scores without having to add extra funds, and still achieve better outcomes.

“This was a three-to-four years study with very solid outcomes. We proved that this actually works and also good for their health. We also found that through a qualitative component; it’s a mixed methods research paper. So the quantitative showed direct empirical evidence that test scores increased, but the qualitative component provided insight that it was linked to the strategy we have in place within the OCI Foundation.”

As a student in Nigeria, Ifedirora was a member of NIMSA, where he played a big role a NIMSA official some decades ago, and held offices at the higher level at the Federation of African Medical Standards Association. Talking about what underpins the relationship of the Foundation with NIMSA, he says: “My passion is basically driven by what I believe are the things that are a few secrets to my success in life so far: strong belief in writing, studying and never giving up. “Remember what I said before – learning starts from cradle to the grave. Through my association with NIMSA, I see an opportunity to inspire the younger generation to imbibe the skills, the qualities that kind of underlie my success in life today. And that’s about literary prowess and research skills. So these two things are embodied in the Literary Award for Medical Students (LAMS), which we’ve now changed to Literary and Research Award for Medical Students (LARAMS). The project embodies what I believe can be a game changer in our training of medical students so that they come into the medical world ready to write, ready to read, ready to research. This is the key to having a medical career that will continually contribute to human development and growth. And this what OCI Foundation stands for in the areas of education, health, and public/social welfare.”

Friends and associates who have had course to interact with Dr Ifediora through his internet and social media platforms and seen pictures or videos posted by him, know about the only female person (pretty, sweet smiling lady) referred to as “Nwunye OCI.” As would be expected, she is the personification of the aphorism that behind every successful man is a woman. Mrs Nkem Eucharia Ifediora is the wife of Dr. Ifediora and is a Registered Nurse at the Gold Coast University Hospital and holds various university degrees, including a Bachelor of Nursing Degree from Griffith University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Liverpool John Moore University. She is the Vice President of OCI Foundation and a member of the OCI Foundation’s Board of Trustees and known for advocating unity and oneness in marriage, emphasizing its importance for a successful relationship.