How Oludele Olaniyi Champions Reproductive Health in West Africa

With over two decades of service in clinical practice, research, and community health, Mrs. Esther Oludele Olaniyi has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most respected voices in public health and reproductive health advocacy.

Born on August 17, 1970, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Olaniyi has combined professional expertise with compassion for vulnerable populations throughout her career.

A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (B.N.Sc.,1994), and the University of Ibadan (MPH, 2010), she is a Registered Nurse, Midwife, and Public Health Nurse who has dedicated her life to advancing maternal and child health, family planning, and reproductive health education.

Her last designation before leaving the University of Ibadan was Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, a position she attained on October 1, 2016, at the College of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology. She faithfully served the institution for over 14 years before moving on to new assignments.

Olaniyi’s work extends far beyond the hospital. In July 2010, she joined the International Medical Mission Team of Men of Issachar Vision (MIV) and Jason Health Corps, traveling across Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana.

During the two-week outreach, the team attended to 1,839 patients, conducted 29 surgeries and 54 dental procedures, and distributed free medications and eyeglasses.

Alongside the medical work, the team held crusades, film shows, and counseling sessions, recording more than 80 new Christian converts and engaging with community leaders across the three countries.

She also participated in youth-focused interventions, counseling students at the University of Lome on chastity and guiding young girls in Ghana away from harmful cultural practices such as the Dipo initiation festival.

Back home in Nigeria, she has led numerous local outreach programmes in Ibadan’s rural communities, providing maternal health education, family planning services, and cancer prevention talks to underserved populations.

Olaniyi has contributed to global public health research through publications and conference presentations.

Her co-authored paper, “Health seeking behaviour of attendees of a sexually transmitted infections clinic, Southwestern Nigeria” (2016), earned her a presentation slot at the IUSTI World Congress in Marrakesh, Morocco.

IUSTI is an acronym for the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections. It is the oldest international organization in the field of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), founded in 1923.

IUSTI focuses on providing STI treatment guidelines, organizing global and regional conferences, publishing scientific journals and textbooks, and offering webinars and membership opportunities to specialists.

Her MPH thesis focused on patient satisfaction with cervical cancer screening at UCH Ibadan, while her undergraduate dissertation examined health workers’ attitudes toward mental illness.

She is widely recognized for her expertise in family planning, safe pregnancy practices, breastfeeding promotion, cancer prevention, and adolescent reproductive health education.

A mother of three, Olaniyi balances her professional career with active involvement in faith-based missions and church service. In May 2018, she traveled to the United States, further expanding her exposure to global public health and ministry networks.

Her lifelong mission remains to champion holistic health, body, mind, and spirit, for women, families, and communities across Nigeria and West Africa.

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