Daprim Samuel Ogaji

I am a Professor of Health Systems & Public Health, and the Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research at the University of Port Harcourt. I was a former head of the Department of Community Medicine in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine in the University of Port Harcourt. My research in healthcare services/systems revolve around quality improvement, improving access, efficiency, and equity in healthcare, improving patients’ experiences, human resources for health and improving outcomes in the management of long-term conditions. My methodological competences are in quantitative research, evidence synthesis, health systems/programme evaluation, psychometric and field trials. My professional competence spans health care, public health, health management, leadership, health policy, quality improvement, global health, and primary health care. I have been involved in the training of doctors, nurses and other health professionals for over 2 decades and had led the development of 16 nationally/internationally accredited postgraduate programmes as well as the establishment of the UNIPORT School of Public Health (www.uphsph.edu.ng) and the World Bank funded African Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research (www.aceputor.uniport.edu.ng) in the University of Port Harcourt which as at 2024 had 1,771 PG Students (524 for PhD and 1,247 at Masters’ level; 1,558 are national while 213 are regional students; 402 male and 1,369 female enrollees). These institutions are members of the Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa. I am a member of the Senate of the University of Port Harcourt, Member of the Board of the School of Graduate Studies, Member of the Board of the Centre for Medical Research and Training all in the University of Port Harcourt. I have also supervised over 100 masters’ dissertations and 30 PhD theses as well as published over 120 articles in local and international peer reviewed journals.

I am currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Health Journal (Scopus/EBSCO/AJOL Indexed) and also serves in the editorial board of Patient Experience Journal (PXJ), Reviewer for the Journal of Primary Health Care Research and Development (Cambridge), Reviewer for the African Health Journal, Reviewer for BMJ Open, Reviewer for BMC Health Services Research, Reviewer for the Journal of Patient Experience (SAGE), Reviewer for the Journal of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care, Reviewer for the Port Harcourt Journal of Medicine, Reviewer for the Malawi Medical Journal, Reviewer for the Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology, accredited surveyor for the Nigerian Society for Quality in Healthcare (SQHN) and reviewer for the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA), Brussel.

My grant portfolio includes the award of $100,000 for doctoral research by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2013, award of £500 travel grants by the University of Manchester (2015) and the award of $7,149,371 World Bank/AAU/FGN multi-project grant under the African Centers of Excellence Impact Programme for the establishment of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR) from November 2018 to November 2025, Co-PI in the $100,000 grant for the AFD Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health ACE Network (2021-2023); co-investigator in the $100,000 grant for the AFD Mycotoxin and Food Safety ACE Network (2021-2023), lead, Wellcome Trust Mexa Accelerator Grant for Generative Ai for Anxiety, Depression and Psychosis Research Accelerator (MEXA2025-035a). Stage 1- $30,000; Institutional lead 1,444,080 euros Excel-Pharm grant under the NDICI-2024-MOBAF-Intra-Africa Academic MobilityScheme (2025 – 2027).

Besides headship of academic units, I had at various times served as Vice President of the Association of Resident Doctors in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Vice President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Bayelsa State Chapter), Chief Physician to the Governor of Bayelsa State and National Technical Officer in charge of monitoring of projects under the MDGs-Conditional Grants Scheme to 774 local government councils in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have also served as a consultant to Grid Consulting limited on behalf of State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC), Surveyor during accreditation of health facilities for the Society for Quality Health Care in Nigeria (SQHN), Consultant to the Federal Ministry of Health, Consultant to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency amongst others. More information can be obtained from www.dstogaji.com