UBTH CMD: Prof. Ize-Iyamu, President Tinubu's Perfect Choice

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The choice of Professor Idia Nibukun Ize-Iyamu as the new Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), has once again demonstrated the skillful managerial experience of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a leader who shops for hands-on managers to manage critical sectors in his government.

The decision that President Tinubu has taken must be applauded because it is a catalyst that will definitely reposition the health institution as a medical centre of excellence in the country—judging by Prof Ize-Iyamu’s exceptional knack for top class service delivery, especially with her natural talent and aptitude for achieving high standards of medical practice.

No doubt, Prof Ize-Iyamu’s appointment is a decisive move that underscores Tinubu’s commitment to provide world-class healthcare facilities.

The appointment which takes effect from August 18, 2025, which will be four years in the first instance provides Prof Ize-Iyamu the opportunity to contribute her expertise to medical research in Nigeria, especially now, that the nation’s healthcare sector is in dire straits.

Part of her resume shows that, the new Chief Medical Director is a highly distinguished academic, clinician, and administrator. She joined the hospital in 1997 as a Junior Registrar and rose through the ranks to become an Honorary Consultant in 2005. For over eleven years, she served as Head of Department, earning widespread respect for her integrity, deep institutional knowledge, and results-driven leadership.

Beyond her administrative and clinical excellence, Prof. Ize-Iyamu is a renowned teacher and trainer who has mentored and developed generations of doctors, many of whom have risen to become consultants, while others are practicing successfully in leading medical institutions across the world.

Prof Ize-Iyamu is a globally trained specialist; a Commonwealth Fellow and a Craniofacial Orthodontist who honed her expertise at the Oxford University Teaching Hospital, United Kingdom, and furthered her training at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. Her international exposure and global professional networks position her to introduce cutting-edge innovations and best practices to UBTH.

As Dean of the School of Dentistry, Prof Ize-Iyamu has been celebrated as one of the institution’s most effective Deans, attracting public-private partnerships, mobilizing resources, and significantly improving infrastructure, staff welfare, and student training.

She is recorded as a prolific scholar with over 55 publications in reputable local and international journals, contributing meaningfully to evidence-based health policy and research.

Understandably, her vision places patients firmly at the centre of every decision, with a focus on people-first service delivery, uncompromising quality assurance, and strategic innovation. She has promised to modernize facilities; expand specialist services; strengthen institutional accountability, and motivate staff to achieve excellence.