Mr Nicolas ODINUWE: My man of the Year 2015

Mr Nicholas Odinuwe: The man

A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves. Amelia Earhart.

You heard about the Governor who received treatment at a local hospital following a road traffic accident. He was patched up pretty well by the hospital. Of course, he later left the country to have things checked out by doctors abroad. Of course, he was told in no uncertain terms that he had a ‘job well done’.

In that situation, it would have been great, if the Governor returned home and instituted significant changes and improvements to the health infrastructure in his state. But, No! Not this Nigerian Governor. Alas, he is waiting, along with everyone else, for ‘God help us’. Forgetting, the Almighty has already given us the wisdom and the wherewithal to make our lives better for generations yet unborn. Nigeria is blessed in abundance.

The truth

Many of our patients who trust in the local system benefit though we still have a long way to go. Yet, we can only get to the Promised Land, by working together, to create the health care system capable of delivering quality of care, at the time of need.

Fools take a knife and stab people in the back. The wise ones take a knife and cut the cord: setting themselves free from the fools. Author unknown.

To whom honour is due

It gave us great pleasure to work with the Guild of Medical Directors FCT in 2015 when the organisation honoured four selected individuals from the local community who had contributed significantly to the practice of medicine in the FCT. The awardees honored by the Guild had advanced healthcare in the FCT immensely over the past few years and deserved recognition.

They had put their money, skills and expertise where their mouths are and made serious and credible efforts to reverse medical tourism from Nigeria. They were also active promoters of inward medical tourism into Abuja from Nigeria and the West African axis. Using them as examples, we actually hoped, may encourage others to see this as a very important contribution to improving health care delivery in Nigeria. Action they say, speaks louder than words.

One of those special people is Mr Nicolas Odinuwe

The wise one

Nicolas Odinuwe returned from a trip in severe pain due to a bad back. He had refused treatment in Dubai because he heard the operation could be performed in Nigeria. It certainly was not the money, for he is blessed. Nicolas believes in ‘Project Nigeria’ and promotes the nation in his speech and action. He walks the walk and talks the talk as a proud Nigerian. This is someone not impressed by white skin and not overburdened with colonial mentality. A man confident in his own skin!

On return to Nigeria and after his operation, Nicolas decided to build hospitals instead of uninhabited properties. He put his money where his mouth is and set up quality diagnostic and medical centres with state of the art equipment and dedicated staff. He is a patriotic Nigerian who believes that higher standards in practice will help stem medical capital flight and encourage giving back.

His investments are borne out of the recognition of the gap between the needs of the medical practitioners and the services rendered. He wants to bring health care in Nigeria to appropriate standards in tandem with global best medical practice. Just in case, he needs treatment in Nigeria, he now has great hospitals to go to. Just in case!

A man of many parts

Nicolas is the Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Zitadel Limited, one of the leading technical service companies operating in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry and also the Chairman of Zitadel Medical & Diagnostics Limited.  He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial/Environmental Microbiology from the University of Port Harcourt and is an Alumnus of Georgetown university School of Business.

With over three decades of management and experience in the field as QHSE Consultant, he has great pedigree and the financial muscle as a result of hard work. He sits on the board of many companies contributing and giving back in no small measure. In 2004 Nicolas was elected captain of the prestigious Air Assault Golf Club Port-Harcourt. He is also the current Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Pioneers of Nigerian content law.

Nicolas Odinuwe is my MAN OF THE YEAR 2015.

It was an easy choice for me and one I am convinced is well deserved. I hold him up as an example to all others who might wish to emulate his actions. Do not just criticise the situation in Nigeria. We seriously need people who dare to be different from the herd. We need right thinking and wise people of substance to cut the cord and break free.

Now, what are YOU going to do to bring forth an oasis of health? Just in case and especially when it’s your turn to fall ill. For it will happen, even to the best of us and the most religious too. That, you can take to the bank!