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Friday Okonofua

Friday Okonofua (born 1955) is a Nigerian professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics. He is the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Ondo State University of Medical Sciences and founder of Women Health and Action Research Centre, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Benin City, that focuses on promoting female reproductive research.

Prior to his appointment as the 1st substantive Vice Chancellor of Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, he served as the Provost of the College of Medical Science, University of Benin and currently the Program Officer of Ford Foundation's West Africa office. Ford Foundation is a New York headquartered, globally oriented private foundation with the mission of advancing human welfare. Professor Okonofua's research interest is in the area of Public health, sexual and female reproductive health as well as Andrology.

The results of his research on maternal mortality rate published by ''Business Day'' on Sunday, July 19, 2015 suggests that the mortality rate of a pregnant woman in Africa is 1 in 42 and 1 in 25, 500 in developed countries. Commenting on BusinessDay's Research and Intelligence Unit report published on June 2, 2015, he said “the major problem is that about 40% of doctors we train locally are going abroad because of better remuneration and better working environment. Also, there are less resources devoted to training doctors in the country, especially in public training institutions. What happens these days is that even when players in the private sector set up institutions to train doctors when members of the Nigerian Dental and Medical Association inspect such institutions, they are forced to approve it for very few students”. In recognition of his outstanding research and expertise in Gynecology and Obstetrics, he was appointed as executive director of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and was the only African Gynecologist and Obstetrician shortlisted for the interview held in London in April 2005.

In 2012, he was elected as fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, the apex scientific organization in Nigeria. He was inducted into the academy, alongside Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and Professor Akinyinka Omigbodun, the President of the West African College of Surgeons and former Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. Provided by Wikipedia