President elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Bayelsa born Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, Prof Dimie Ogoina, are the only two Nigerians who made the list of 100 most influential people for 2023.
The popular magazine stated that Tinubu was selected for winning an election in Nigeria which it said is no easy feat.
The magazine stated further that Tinubu fought the military to restore Demi democracy in Nigeria and served as Governor of Lagos State for two terms.
“Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat. But Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had nearly two decades to prepare. Called Jagaban, or “leader of the warriors,” by his supporters, the now 71-year-old ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. His campaign slogan, “It’s my turn,” was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker. Tinubu helped restore the country’s democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule and then served two consecutive terms as governor of Lagos.
“But Tinubu’s win with the ruling All Progressives Congress Party came in a fraught election and by a slim margin over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. It was the first time Nigerian voters contended with a third-party candidate, and many discontented young Nigerians yearning for change pinned their hopes on Obi. Marred by allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, the outcome of the ballot is being challenged in court.
“Tinubu now faces a litany of crises in a fractured nation, including deep-rooted corruption, religious insurgencies, and shortages of cash, fuel, and power in a crumbling economy. But the President-elect seems aware of his inheritance: “[Nigeria] is one country and we must build it together,” he said in his acceptance speech.”
In explaining how Prof ogoina made the list of 100 most influential personalities for 2023, the magazine recalled how Prof Ogoina alerted the world of the advent of Mpox (monkey pox) as he observed it in Nigeria.
It was counted for him that when the world ignored him, he took the bold step to document the possibility of sexual transmission of the disease and publish it in prominent scientific journals.
The outcome of his study on Mpox became critical with the outbreak of Mpox in 2022 with the world relying on the insights he provided.
He is the current President of the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society.
“In 2017, when Dr. Dimie Ogoina sounded the alarm on a new presentation of Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) that he was seeing in his home country of Nigeria, the world wasn’t ready to listen. Recognizing the importance and potential implications for global spread, he persisted, documenting the potential for sexual transmission of Mpox and publishing the data in high-impact scientific journals. As the global Mpox outbreak unfolded in 2022, Dimie’s insights became critically important to developing better strategies to prevent and control outbreaks.
“Dimie is also a passionate champion for global health equity. He has often made the point that Mpox is not a new disease and that had the world paid attention sooner, we could have avoided a global outbreak. It is this drive that has led Dimie to make significant contributions to the field through his advocacy, leadership, and research.”
His profile on Wikipedia stated that
“Ogoina attended high school in Lagos, Nigeria. He completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at Ahmadu Bello Universitywhere he studied under mentors Laszlo Egler and Geoffrey Onyemelukwe.
“After his residency, Ogoina worked as a lecturer and consultant physician at in the HIV/AIDS clinic at Bingham University Teaching Hospital in Jos. He then joined Niger Delta University (NDU) and the NDU Teaching Hospital where he has served in several roles including head of department, provost of the college of medicine, chair of the medical advisory committee, and chief medical director. He is a professor of medicine. Ogoina researches HIV/AIDS and antimicrobial resistance.In 2017, he presented on Mpox in Nigeria.
