Conference Speakers

He began his career at the Centre for Democratic Studies in 1990, later serving with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Ministry of Environment before his appointment as pioneer Director-General and CEO of the National Biosafety Management Agency from 2015 to 2023.

He coordinated the UNEP/GEF Development of National Biosafety Framework Project in Nigeria and contributed to Nigeria's national biosafety framework, biotechnology policy, biosecurity policy and action plan, and regulatory instruments covering gene editing, genetically modified organisms, risk analysis, monitoring and inspection.

His international service includes leadership roles in the African Union Biosafety Regulators Forum and West African Biosafety Regulators Forum, as well as representation at meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

He currently leads the Rufus Ebegba Centre for Leadership and Environmental Sustainability and remains active in professional and community service.

He is Executive Director of Hutzpa Center for Innovation and Development, National Coordinator for the WIPO programme on Intellectual Property and Traditional Medical Knowledge, and an International Co-Lead for the Innovations Module in Oxford University's MSc in Global Women's Health.

He developed the TETFund Research for Impact curriculum, has trained more than 2,000 lecturers and supported over 150 research-based innovation concepts and prototypes. Through the Young Innovation Leaders Fellowship, he has trained and mentored more than 3,000 emerging innovators across over 20 African countries.

He has led innovation programmes with WIPO and the Embassy of Israel, co-founded AI-driven ventures, and mobilised more than $10 million in grants for medical technologies and translational research. He was named 2025 Africa Startup Coach of the Year by the Africa Startup Ecosystem Builders.

Dr. Obiajunwa holds a medical degree, MPH, MBA and PhD in Public Governance and Leadership, with research focused on artificial-intelligence governance in medical education.