In recognition of the heroic efforts made during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has presented national awards to select health professionals from across the country who played pivotal roles in managing the public health crisis.
The awards, presented on December 17, 2021, acknowledged outstanding contributions to disease surveillance, public health coordination, and rapid response across various states.
Among the honoured recipients was Dr. Olufemi Olulaja, a leading public health physician and epidemiological strategist, who was the only awardee representing Lagos State, Nigeria’s most populous and COVID-impacted region.
Dr. Olulaja received national recognition “for leading the Lagos State COVID-19 Surveillance Team to achieve effective containment of the SARS-Cov-2 virus in Lagos.”
Olulaja, currently serving as a Lead Research Physician at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), played a central role in shaping Lagos’s COVID-19 surveillance strategy at the height of the outbreak.
Under his leadership, the state’s response transitioned from reactive to anticipatory, with the implementation of real-time tracking systems, data-informed contact tracing, and localised containment models that mitigated the spread of the virus in densely populated urban areas.
“This award reflects the collective commitment of public health professionals across Nigeria,” Dr. Olulaja remarked after receiving the honour.
“I am proud to have represented Lagos State in this fight. But more importantly, I hope this recognition shines a light on the importance of science, coordination, and courage in times of public health crisis.”
The NCDC praised Olulaja’s role as instrumental in reducing infection rates in Lagos and described his work as setting national benchmarks for epidemic surveillance and community-level outbreak management.
His efforts were particularly notable given the sheer scale of the challenge in Lagos, a megacity with over 20 million residents and the highest case burden during the pandemic’s peak.
The awards ceremony highlighted exceptional professionals from states across the federation, with honorees drawn from infectious disease research institutes, public health agencies, and frontline medical teams.
However, Olulaja’s distinction as the sole Lagos recipient reinforced the unique scale and success of his contributions within one of the most complex response environments.
Dr. Olulaja has long been recognised for his dedication to evidence-based public health approaches, and his work continues to inform pandemic preparedness strategies across West Africa.
Dr. Olulaja is a physician, researcher, and Lead Research Physician at ACEGID. He has led multiple outbreak response programs, and his work in infectious disease surveillance and genomic epidemiology has earned him national recognition.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control is the national public health institute tasked with protecting the health of Nigerians through preparedness, early detection, and effective response to infectious disease threats.
