Christian Onyebuchi Ifediora is a Nigerian medical practitioner and educator. He is currently an associate professor at

Griffith University Griffith University is a public university, public research university in South East Queensland on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of Australia. The university was founded in 1971, but was not officially opened until 1975. Griffith ...

. He founded the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation, an international non-profit organization.

Early life and education

Christian Onyebuchi Ifediora was born in

Enugu State Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. He is from

Nsugbe Nsugbe is a town in Anambra East Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the ...

in Anambra State. In 2004, he obtained his MBBS from Nnamdi Azikiwe University. He completed a master's in public health (MPH) from the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

in 2008. In 2019, he received the Southeast Asia Leadership (HMS-SEAL) qualification from Harvard Medical School and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the

University of Southern Queensland The University of Southern Queensland is a public research university based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, the sixth largest city in the Australian state of Queensland Founded in 1967 after a successful campaign by the local Darling Down ...

Academic career

In 2005, Ifediora worked as a house officer at the

Lagos University Teaching Hospital Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is a tertiary hospital established in 1962 and is located in Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos State, an administrative division of Nigeria.The teaching hospital is affiliated with the University of Lagos Col ...

, Lagos, Nigeria. In 2006, he served as a medical officer at General Hospital, Irepo Local Government Area,

Oyo State Oyo is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the List of Nigerian cities by population, third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo ...

, Nigeria, as part of his

National Youth Service Corps The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a mandatory, post-tertiary scheme set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime of Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, to "reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian ...

(NYSC) assignment, receiving a meritorious service award from Oyo State. During his MPH program in 2008, Ifediora had a clinical attachment at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Teaching Hospital in the UK. After his MPH, he worked in various surgical specialities and emergency departments in the UK before relocating to Australia in late 2008. He joined the

Royal Hobart Hospital The Royal Hobart Hospital is a public hospital in the Hobart CBD, Tasmania, Australia. The hospital also functions as a teaching hospital in co-operation with the University of Tasmania. The hospital's research facilities are known as the Roy ...

as a resident medical officer. In 2010, Ifediora established the Cyfed Medical Group. He practices as a family physician in the City of Gold Coast, Australia, and earned a Fellowship from the

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Ro ...

(FRACGP) in 2013. He joined

School of Medicine as a senior lecturer in clinical skills, becoming an associate professor in 2019. Ifediora has contributed to medical education as a fellowship examiner, supervisor, and general practice educator. He has also served on the Monitored Substances Schedule Working Party for the

State of Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

, developing a real-time monitoring tool for opioid prescriptions.

Activities

Philanthropy

In 2016, Ifediora founded the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation, which was registered internationally in 2018. Through the foundation, he leads the Arm Our Youths (ArOY) Health Campaign, promoting anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer messages to young adults in Nigeria. The campaign is integrated into the curriculum of multiple Nigerian schools and NYSC camps, with plans for expansion across Africa. He also designed the OCI CerviBreast App, which provides information on breast and cervical cancer.

Media and memberships

Ifediora has been featured in various Nigerian and Australian media outlets. He has been involved with several professional organizations, including the RACGP Queensland Research Support and Education Committees and the Monitored Substances Schedule Working Party.

Personal life

Ifediora is married to Nkem Ifediora, and they have four children.

Honours and awards

Ifediora and the OCI Foundation have received numerous awards from organizations such as Rotary International and the Nigerian Bar Association. In October 2024, Ifediora was announced winner of the "People's Choice Award" for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition of doctoral students at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. In November 2024, Ifediora was named "Nigerian diaspora humanitarian of the year" He holds the traditional title of Chizitelu (God Sent) the 1st of Nigeria and Africa

Selected publications

* Outcomes from integrating anti-cervical cancer teachings into the curriculum of high schools in a South-Eastern Nigerian State. *Knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer and its prevention among female secondary school students in Nigeria *Re-thinking breast and cervical cancer preventive campaigns in developing countries: The case for interventions at high schools *Burnout among after-hours home visit doctors in Australia *Sustainable and cost-effective teenage breast awareness campaigns: Insights from a Nigerian high school intervention study *Targeting cervical cancer campaigns on teenage high schoolers in resource-limited economies: lessons from an intervention study of Nigerian senior secondary school girls *Levels and predictors of patient satisfaction with doctor home-visit services in Australia * Knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer and its prevention among female secondary school students in Nigeria. * Insights into radiographic investigations for headaches in general practice. Family Practice. * Pattern of Congenital Anomalies in Newborn: A 4-Year Surveillance of Newborns Delivered in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in the South-East Nigeria.

References

External links

OCL foundation website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ifediora, Chris Living people Nigerian educators Nigerian academics Academic staff of Griffith University Year of birth missing (living people)