Video and Text: Profile of the OCI Foundation and that of its President/Founder, Dr Chris Ifediora (November 2020)

TEXT: Full PROFILE OF THE MAN CALLED “O.C.I.”, AND HIS SERVICES TO HUMANITY

Dr Chris Onyebuchi Ifediora (a.k.a. O.C.I.) is an Associate Professor with the Griffith University School of Medicine, Gold Coast, Australia. He is also the Founder and President of the OCI Foundation, an international charity organisation that is fully and legally functional in both Nigeria and Australia.

Prof. Ifediora has academic and professional experiences from 4 different continents. These include: an MBBS degree (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery) from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria (Africa), a Master of Public Health degree (MPH) from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom (Europe), and a South-east Asia Leadership qualification (HMS-SEAL) from the prestigious Harvard Medical School, USA (North America). “OCI” is also a current doctoral degree (PhD) student with the Griffith University, Australia, which is in the Australasian continent.

Dr Chris is a practising Family Physician, and holds the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). Currently, he serves as a 2-time elected board member of the College’s Faculty Board in the State of Queensland, Australia. He also sits on the board of 3 other humanitarian bodies across Nigeria and Australia.

As an academic, Dr OCI contributes to teaching and research at the Griffith University School of Medicine. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE), and supervises, mentors, educates, and examines medical registrars and other junior doctors and medical students. As a seasoned researcher, some of his peer-reviewed, scholarly articles have contributed to major policy discussions, and have influenced practices across Nigeria, Australia and the globe.

Through the OCI Foundation, Dr Chris has touched lives, inspired lives, and lifted lives. The organisation was established in 2016 as a Nigerian NGO designed to “Promote and Advance Health”, “Advance Education”, and “Advance Social & Public Welfare” among the Nigerian populace. In 2018, it attained an international status with full registration in Australia as well. Currently, the Foundation’s Trustees, Directors and Partners are spread out across 4 different continents that includes the Australasia, Europe, North America and the African continents. Their humanitarian activities revolve around the 3 main activity-tripod enunciated above. These, they have delivered with uncommon excellence, admirable distinction, and unwavering commitment. Some of these activities will now be explained.

Firstly, ON HEALTH, the OCI Foundation has successfully packaged its flagship health initiative, the “Arm Our Youths (a.k.a. ArOY) Health Campaign”, in a way that will save millions of lives across many countries in the coming years. The ArOY Campaign is an innovative and evidence-based health promotion project, which seeks to introduce anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer teachings into the regular curriculum of all Nigerian senior secondary schools, using measures that are novel, sustainable, cost-effective, all-encompassing, and culturally-acceptable. A world first, the campaign has endorsements from the Harvard Medical School (USA), the WHO Country Office (Nigeria) and the American Centres for Disease Control (CDC), USA. Professionals from a number of reputable institutions, including the Griffith University (Australia), the Universities of British Columbia and Saskatchewan (both in Canada), and the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Nigeria), have all contributed to this project. It is set to reach all of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT before the end of 2025. Already, it is fully functional in all eligible schools in Anambra, with Benue State, next in line.

ON EDUCATION, the OCI Foundation offers SIX different sets of scholarships. These scholarships are designed to sponsor brilliant but financially disadvantaged students, starting from junior and senior secondary schools, through to the completion of their tertiary studies. Five of these annual scholarships are unique, given that they are all linked. They have also already benefitted hundreds of Nigerians, with a number of indigent students gaining admissions into reputable Nigerian institutions from it. The sixth scholarship, called the Literary Award for Medical Students (LAMS), was introduced this year (2020), with the aim of improving the literary skills of Nigerian doctors-in-training.

ON SOCIAL AND PUBLIC WELFARE, the OCI Foundation has touched scores of lives, both directly, and indirectly. It is targeted at gifted Nigerians that are not in formal education settings. Through this program, the Foundation helped fight COVID-19 in Nigeria, and is partnering with a number of pageantry organisations nationwide.

Ladies and gentlemen, watch out for the OCI Foundation in the years to come. Also watch out for the man behind it all, known simply, as OCI. He is a man that is happily married to Mrs Nkem Ifediora, and is blessed with 4 children. He is also a man on a mission, and welcomes everyone to share in his vision, which is to RISE, BY LIFTING OTHERS.