NIGERIA IS THE SICKLE CELL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

Dr. Adekunle Adekile, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University Dr. Adekile graduated from the University of Ibadan Medical School, Nigeria, and had his Pediatric Residency Training at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife Nigeria.  He was at Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA, from 1980-1981 for his post-doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Haematology, during which time he worked at the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center under Dr. Roland Scott. He established a sickle cell clinic in the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital on his return to Nigeria in 1981. In 1990 he was the recipient of the Fogarty International Fellowship which took him to the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Ga, USA where he worked in Dr. Titus Huisman’s laboratory and the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. Dr. Adekile moved to Kuwait in 1993; he is the Chief of Pediatric Haematology at Mubarak Hospital where he looks after patients with SCD, thalassemia, and other benign haematology disorders. He is the director of the Kuwait National SCD Registry, which he established in 2011. He holds a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Maastricht, Netherlands based on his thesis “Comparative Studies of Nigerian and Kuwaiti SCD patients”. His research expertise is in the phenotypic variability of SCD, especially the presentation among patients with the Arab/India haplotype and elevated Hb F. He was the founding chairman of the Nigerian SCD Network and the Sickle Cell Support Society of Nigeria. He has more than 160 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has served as a consultant to WHO/AFRO on the management of SCD in Africa. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of HAEMOGLOBIN, the International Journal of Haemoglobin Research.

Bukola is a lawyer, sickle cell and blood donation advocate and founder of Haima Health. Haima, which is a latin word for 'blood' has been growing progressively since its inception in 2016. Bukola began Haima due to her personal experience living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and leading the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF). She was inspired to start Haima because people living with SCD often need blood transfusions but struggle to access it due to poor donor culture, logistics challenges and high costs. Bukola leads her team of staff and volunteers to carry out activities to raise awareness about blood health, SCD and blood donation across Nigeria. She also began Haima mobile, a logistics service to support patients with blood delivery at a subsidised fee across Lagos in partnership with the Lagos state blood transfusion service. For her role in health advocacy, Bukola has received numerous awards including the Future Awards, Obama Foundation Africa Leaders and Queens Young Leaders award delivered by Her Majesty, the Queen of England.

Dr. Fasipe is Co-Director of the Texas Children's Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Program and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Haematology/Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She is passionate about public health strategies to curb the psychosocial barriers and health complications of individuals with sickle cell disease. She is actively involved in various sickle cell-focused community and policy efforts aimed at understanding and addressing these challenges.

Dr. Fasipe has been repeatedly appointed to sickle cell-related advisory committees of the Texas Department of State Health Services and currently serves on their Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and chairs the Sickle Cell Task Force. Her professional memberships include: the American Academy of Pediatrics; the Heartland-Southwest Sickle Cell Disease Network; the American Society of Haematology; the American Society of Pediatric Haematology/Oncology; and the Community Input Panel of the NHLBI Cure Sickle Cell Initiative.

Dr. Fasipe has the unique perspective of relating to and understanding the need for education, community awareness, support, and medical care as she is a pediatric haematologist as well as an individual with sickle cell disease.

Dame Edith Okowa, who was born on the 1st of June 1961, is a dedicated educator, motivator, and philanthropist. She started her career as a trained teacher in the Delta state civil service, eventually retiring as a Permanent Secretary in 2021.

Overcoming various life challenges, she developed a deep passion for sickle cell advocacy, particularly after becoming the wife of the Governor of Delta State in 2015.

As a result of her commitment to helping others, Dame Edith founded the NGO O5 Initiative (now O5 Foundation) with a primary mission to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit the prisoners, and provide shelter for the homeless.

Her focus on sickle cell advocacy led her to establish 23 sickle cell clinics across Delta State, along with a Sickle Cell Referral Center, that is well-equipped with advanced medical technologies for newborn screening, transcranial Doppler scanning, apheresis, and haematology analysis. Her ultimate goal is to ensure that children with sickle cell are identified early so they can receive proper care and lead fulfilling lives.

Dame Edith Okowa is happily married to Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, and together they have four children and several grandchildren.

Dr. Abosede Wellington is an accomplished public health physician with about two decades of experience in driving the implementation of impactful public health policies and programs, currently holds the position of Sickle Cell Disorder Coordinator at the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

Driven by her creative and innovative mindset, she and her dedicated team approach the challenge of sickle cell disorder with a fresh perspective, orchestrating strategies that encompass awareness, diagnosis and care.

Her steadfast belief in the power of collaborative efforts amongst stakeholders underscores her commitment to achieving successful sickle cell disorder control within Lagos State.

Beyond her professional endeavors. Dr. Wellington finds joy in embarking on adventurous journeys. Happily married and a loving mother to three daughters, she balances her dedication to healthcare with a zest for life's enriching experiences.

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A public health specialist whose portfolio includes hereditary blood disorders including sickle cell disease and hemophilia, Dr. Sopekan is an an advocate for equity and inclusivity.

The Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria, and an articulate and goal-oriented professional with an objective to contribute his wealth of experience to disease control and prevention, Dr. Sopekan has contributed to many publications including “Implementing newborn screening for sickle cell disease as part of immunization programs in Nigeria: a feasibility study” and “Strategies to improve healthcare services for patients with sickle cell disease in Nigeria: The perspectives of stakeholders”

Musician, Philanthropist, Sickle Cell Advocate.

Olamilekan Massoud Al-Khalifah known professionally as Laycon, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter and media personality. He was the winner of Big Brother Naija season 5 and is currently the youth ambassador of Ogun State, Nigeria since 6 October 2020. In October 2022, he became a member of the Grammys Recording Academy voting committee. Laycon is the Brand Ambassador of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria and a person With Sickle Cell Disorder. He has been an astute Sickle Cell Disorder advocate, a philanthropist and a catalyst for change and transformation.

Professor Adeyinka Falusi is a retired Professor of Haematology with a 40-year trajectory as a scientist. Her focus on Human Genetics of SCD, Alpha thal, and confounders of HbDIb, HbF, βS Haplotypes; Breast Cancer, Asthma, Malaria, and Ethics of Research have yielded novel findings resulting changes of the existing literature for Nigeria. She is a visiting scientist in notable Institutions at Hammersmith Hospital.(London) Univ. of Berlin (FRG) Univ.of Chicago, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center –USA etc. She has Attracted substantial foreign grants from NIH Sub Grants, EDCTP, NEBRA, Global Health University of Chicago (Subgrant), Gilead Sciences, Global Blood Therapeutics. Over the years, she has published over 150 Articles in learned Journals, Abstracts and Conference Proceedings. She is the First Female Director of IAMRAT (a 10-unit Research Centre), COM, University of Ibadan. As First Chair of a functional Institutional Ethics Review Committee in Nigeria, She produced the first Ethics Guidelines, the first Ethics Policy at UI, and extended functional Ethics training throughout the West/East African Subregion with support of EDCTP. Her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment have earned her recognition and honours as: Fellow Nigeria Academy of Science (FAS) Fellow Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (FAMedS) Fellow Organisation of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) The Coveted L’Oreal / UNESCO (FWIS) Laureate Africa (2nd of the 3 in Nigeria). On retirement in 2010 she founded the Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF) whose Vision is to reduce the burden of SCD in Nigeria through a 4-pronged Translational Research approach of Prevention, Care, Research & Advocacy. An advocate for accurate blood diagnosis and the rights and wellbeing of PLWSCD, SCHAF multifaceted approach brings hope to countless lives, empowering SCD community & driving positive change on Sickle Cell Disease.

Annette Ofunne Akinsete MBBS, DTM&H, MPH, FMCPH, Dipl Broadcasting
Dr. Annette Ofunne Akinsete has been the CEO/National Director of Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria since 2013, where she continues to propel successful innovative strategies for the prevention, management, care and support of sickle cell disorder through – inter alia – Public Private Partnerships, Arts in Medicine and Family Support Systems.Annette Akinsete is a woman of many parts; she is – inter alia – a Consultant Public Health Physician, an astute Administrator, a Teacher and a Broadcaster. A distinguished Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, she was Director in the Public Health Department of the Federal Ministry of Health for many years, where she was known as “The Leader of Leaders”, and has represented the Federal Government of Nigeria at several multi-lateral and bilateral engagements all over the world.As a Public Health Physician, Akinsete has worked in every level of government in Nigeria – from local, State to Federal levels. At global level, she has contributed to World Health Organisation (WHO) publications on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), served as WHO Fellow in Geneva and as UN Cares Facilitator at the United Nations HQ in New York.Dr. Akinsete, who is a member of several professional societies and a Commissioner of the Nigeria NCDI Poverty Commission, is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Eko University of Medicine and a member of the Board of the University of Ibadan Research Foundation. She is a key resource person for the West African Health Organisation and represents Women’s Board at the United Nations.A Chartered Management Consultant and a recipient of numerous awards, Akinsete continues to be involved in the formation of young girls as a Brownie Owl.

Chairman, Board Of Trustees

Chief Tunde J. Afolabi is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria. He is the founding Managing Director/CEO of Amni International Petroleum Development Company in 1993, now the Chairman/CEO of the company. He received his BA in Geology in 1973 from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster Pennsylvania US, and an MSc in Geology in 1975 from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, US. He started his career with Texaco Inc. in New Orleans Louisiana in 1974, and continued with Mobil Inc in Dallas, Texas in 1979. He is a professional geologist with over 40 years of oil and gas exploration and production experience from international and independent oil and gas companies. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), a past President of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), and a council member of the Nigerian Association of Indigenous Production and Exploration Companies (NAIPEC). He was conferred with Doctor of Technology (Honoris Causa) by Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho, Osun State, Nigeria in 2009, and Doctor of Geology (Honoris Causa) Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria, 2017.