The University of Ibadan has announced the promotion of Mrs. Esther Oludele Olaniyi to the rank of Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, recognising her outstanding contributions to clinical practice, public health, and community service.

Olaniyi, who has served in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, since 2005, has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most committed voices in maternal and reproductive health. Her elevation reflected both her professional excellence and her tireless dedication to patient care, health education, and community outreach.

With over two decades of service in nursing, midwifery, and public health, Olaniyi’s impact stretched beyond the hospital. She has led multiple medical missions across West Africa, including Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, where she and her team treated more than 1,800 patients, performed life-saving surgeries, and promoted health education in underserved communities.

She is also a respected researcher. Her co-authored paper, “Health Seeking Behaviour of Attendees of a Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic, Southwestern Nigeria,” published in the ResearchJournali Journal of Public Health, shed light on STI treatment patterns and their link to HIV prevention. The study earned her international recognition 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 organisation in the field of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), founded in 1923. IUSTI focuses on providing STI treatment guidelines, organising global and regional conferences, publishing scientific journals and textbooks, and offering webinars and membership opportunities to specialists.

A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University (B.N.Sc., 1994) and the University of Ibadan (MPH, 2010), Olaniyi has consistently combined academic scholarship with hands-on service. Her MPH thesis on cervical cancer screening at UCH Ibadan and her undergraduate dissertation on mental health attitudes continue to inform health interventions.

Beyond academia, she is deeply involved in faith-based missions, youth counselling, and women’s empowerment programmes. She has spoken against harmful cultural practices affecting girls, promoted family planning, and led grassroots campaigns on cancer prevention and safe motherhood.

University officials praised her promotion as a well-deserved recognition of her service. Colleagues describe her as a role model to younger health professionals and a bridge between clinical excellence and community impact.

For Olaniyi, the new position is both an honour and a call to greater service. “This promotion is not just a personal achievement, but a reminder that our work in health care must continue to touch lives, save families, and strengthen communities”, she said.