An Ekiti-born researcher and doctoral researcher at the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Michael Olaogun, has been selected as one of 16 Fellows from across Africa for the prestigious Africa Pandemic Sciences Collaborative’s Individual Policy Exchange Programme (iPEP) Fellowship.
Olaogun, who is also the Senior Program and Innovation Manager at Research Enterprise Systems (RES), emerged among the sixteen selected African researchers and policy practitioners participating in the Fellowship, which seeks to strengthen Africa’s capacity to generate, translate and apply evidence to address current and emerging health challenges.
His selection has been received with excitement within his professional and academic circles, particularly at the Federal University Lokoja, where he is pursuing his doctoral research.
The achievement also represents a significant milestone in the career of the Ekiti-born researcher, whose professional and academic engagements have increasingly focused on research, policy analysis, innovation and evidence-informed development.
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja has expressed delight over Olaogun’s selection, viewing the achievement as a source of pride for the University and a reflection of the growing contributions of its researchers to national, continental and international research initiatives.
Through the one-year Fellowship, Olaogun will join a distinguished cohort of African researchers and policy professionals working to advance evidence-informed policymaking, strengthen pandemic preparedness and response, and contribute to building more resilient health systems across Africa.
As part of the Fellowship, Olaogun will undertake research on “Research and Innovation Ecosystem for Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Africa: Perspectives from Nigeria and Mali.”
The study will examine the research and innovation ecosystems underpinning pandemic preparedness and response in Nigeria and Mali, with particular attention to the institutions, actors, policies, financing mechanisms, partnerships and knowledge-translation processes that shape the capacity of both countries to anticipate, prevent and respond effectively to pandemics.
The research will be conducted in collaboration with a counterpart from the Université des Sciences des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Mali, providing an opportunity for cross-country learning, knowledge exchange and policy engagement between Nigeria and Mali.
Olaogun’s Fellowship research builds on his growing body of work in health research and policy engagement. He has led and contributed to studies including Roles and Efficiency of National Health Insurance Scheme on Quality Health Delivery in Nigeria; Review of Policy Initiatives on Maternal Mortality in Nigeria; Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Strengthen Health Systems in Nigeria; and Governance of Artificial Intelligence for Global Health in Africa: A Review of Policy and Regulatory Frameworks.
His work is a product of sustained interest in generating practical research evidence that can inform policy, strengthen institutions and contribute to improved development outcomes.
As a doctoral researcher at the Federal University Lokoja, Olaogun continues to combine academic research with professional engagement in research, innovation, policy analysis and stakeholder collaboration. His career trajectory has also seen him contribute to initiatives involving government institutions, development organisations and other stakeholders across Nigeria.
The Executive Director of Research Enterprise Systems, Professor Fatai Aremu, described Olaogun’s selection as a recognition of his commitment to research, policy engagement and inclusive development.
“Michael’s selection reflects a strong track record of leadership, strategic thinking, and commitment to promoting inclusive development through research, policy engagement, and stakeholder collaboration. His work as a doctoral researcher and Senior Manager at RES demonstrates a commitment to connecting research with policy and practical development challenges,” Professor Aremu said.
The Africa Pandemic Sciences Collaborative is a joint initiative of the Science for Africa Foundation, the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford, and the Mastercard Foundation. The initiative seeks to strengthen Africa’s pandemic sciences ecosystem by supporting African researchers, fostering collaboration and creating pathways through which evidence can inform policy and practice.
For an Ekiti-born researcher whose academic and professional journey has been shaped by a commitment to research and public policy, the Fellowship provides an opportunity to contribute to a broader African conversation on pandemic preparedness while deepening research collaboration between Nigeria and Mali.
Olaogun’s participation is expected to strengthen his research networks, broaden opportunities for cross-country learning and contribute evidence and policy insights to discussions on Africa’s research and innovation ecosystem for pandemic preparedness and response.
His selection has been welcomed as an important milestone not only in his professional and academic journey but also as another example of the contributions of researchers of Ekiti origin to scholarship, policy and development conversations in Nigeria and across Africa.
