As the United States continues to confront some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world, a Nigerian-born legal scholar is pushing bold reforms to dismantle the structural forces that keep the cost of essential medicines beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Dr. Ayodeji Jayeoba, a pharmaceutical policy researcher and legal scholar, has become a significant voice in America’s drug-pricing debate. His work focuses on how the U.S. pharmaceutical system incentivises monopolies, and he has developed groundbreaking models that balance pharmaceutical innovation with competition and medication affordability. Long before he contributed to U.S. pharmaceutical policy discussions, he had already distinguished himself in Nigeria as one of the brightest young legal minds in the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice.
Taking Nigerian excellence to the United States
Before entering the world of U.S. policy, Dr. Jayeoba served as a government lawyer in the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, where he rose to become an Assistant Chief State Counsel. He prosecuted complex cases, advised ministries on legal and regulatory questions, and contributed to policy development across the state’s public institutions. Colleagues in the Ministry say his brilliance was unmistakable from the start.
“Deji was one of the ministry’s most formidable legal talents,” said Gbemiga Adaramola, former Director of Public Prosecutions, who supervised him early in his career. “His analytical depth and courtroom discipline were far above his years. We knew he was destined for major global impact, and his rise in the United States is no surprise to those who worked with him.”
A senior colleague, now a High Court judge, offered similar praise. According to the judge, Deji’s exceptional intelligence, focus, and discipline set him far apart from his peers, and his current achievements abroad reflect a pattern he demonstrated early on. “He was the kind of lawyer you trusted with the most complex matters because he always saw what others missed,” the judge said. “His ability to decode complex legal issues was exceptional.”
These early testimonies established a pattern of excellence that has continued throughout his academic and legal career.
A Nigerian scholar shaping the U.S. drug-pricing debate
After completing advanced legal studies in the United States, Dr. Jayeoba earned the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.), the highest law degree, placing him among the small, highly specialised group of researchers working at the intersection of pharmaceutical law, innovation incentives, and competition policy, a field known for its complexity and demanding intellectual rigour.
His research examines how pharmaceutical companies use legal and regulatory strategies to block competition and maintain extended monopolies. He explains that companies often surround their products with large numbers of overlapping patents, making it difficult for generics to enter the market. In other situations, they slightly modify existing medicines to allow them to restart exclusivity periods. Some firms negotiate with rivals to delay the release of cheaper alternatives. Others manipulate incentives designed for rare-disease treatments, securing additional years of monopoly protection.
He further reveals how even administrative tools are sometimes used strategically. Companies file petitions that slow down the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s review process. Safety programmes meant to protect patients can also be used to prevent generic drug makers from accessing samples needed to develop lower-cost alternatives.
“These strategies distort competitive structure of the market,” Dr. Jayeoba said. “They inflate drug prices, delay affordable options, and place enormous burdens on patients and on public health programmes.”
Studies show that these practices cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars annually, affecting both patients and taxpayers. Yet the mechanisms behind them remain obscure outside specialised policy circles. Dr. Jayeoba’s work brings clarity to this complex terrain and proposes solutions grounded in legal, economic, and policy analysis.
Pioneering new solutions for a national crisis
To address the structural drivers of high drug prices, Dr. Jayeoba developed two major policy frameworks: the Innovation and Affordability Policy Pluralism (IAAP) model and the Driving America’s Pharmaceutical AGILITY Roadmap.
IAAP demonstrates that U.S. pharmaceutical policy has historically focused too heavily on monopoly-driven innovation incentives, without balancing public health needs, affordability and competition. It proposes a more holistic model that takes all these elements into account.
The AGILITY Roadmap offers a practical blueprint for modernising U.S. pharmaceutical capabilities. It outlines strategic investment priorities, mechanisms for accelerating pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, a framework for improving national pharmaceutical preparedness and approaches for reducing the country’s dependence on fragile global supply chains.
These ideas are drawing attention among U.S. academics and policymakers. Their adoption could significantly improve drug affordability and enhance national pharmaceutical preparedness.
“America’s drug affordability challenge is ultimately a question of regulatory structure,” Dr. Jayeoba said. “My work proposes new ways to re-design that structure.”
Scholars praise his academic influence and impact
Professor Michael Mireles, his doctoral dissertation committee chair, commended his rigorous work. “He has a wealth of valuable knowledge about pharmaceutical regulation and access in the United States,” Mireles said. “His research is of tremendous national and global interest. Few scholars have this level of insight.”
Two doctoral colleagues also noted his influence in academic circles.
“Deji brings clarity to questions that have challenged pharmaceutical scholars for years,” said Ana Paula Dos Santos. “His research offers frameworks that can genuinely address the tension between innovation and affordability.”
Another colleague, Joy Ajayi, added: “His knowledge of both U.S. and global pharmaceutical systems is unmatched. His scholarship blends deep theory with practical policy solutions. He is one of the intellectual anchors of our cohort.”
A Nigerian voice in a global conversation
Born in southwestern Nigeria, Dr. Jayeoba attributes his dedication to justice and public interest to his upbringing.
“My foundation is Nigerian,” he said. “The belief that access to life-saving medicines is at the core of humanity and development guides my work. This applies everywhere, whether in Lagos, India, or Boston.”
He leads the Policy Research Initiative for Medication Access and Security (PRiMAS), the research arm of United for Safe and Affordable Medicines (USAM), where he produces policy briefs, legislative analyses, and research tools to strengthen drug competition and improve healthcare access.
From a distinguished young lawyer in Ekiti to a respected policy voice in the United States, Dr. Ayodeji J. Jayeoba represents a new generation of Nigerian scholars shaping global policy with original, high-impact contributions.
