Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu Appointed First Female Chief Medical Director of UBTH

A historic milestone has been achieved at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State, with the appointment of Professor Idia Nibokun Ize-Iyamu as its first female Chief Medical Director (CMD). The appointment was officially approved by the Visitor to the institution, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the letter of appointment was signed and presented by the Minister of Health, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

Professor Ize-Iyamu’s tenure as CMD is set to commence on August 18, 2025, for an initial period of four years. The appointment reflects a strategic move aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery and continuing the trajectory of excellence at UBTH. The letter of appointment underscored expectations for her to consolidate and improve the hospital’s operations and work collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure the provision of quality healthcare services.

A distinguished academic and clinician, Prof. Ize-Iyamu is a Professor of Orthodontics at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and a Consultant Orthodontist at UBTH. She brings over 27 years of uninterrupted service to the institution, having joined as a Junior Registrar in 1997 and rising steadily through the ranks to become an Honorary Consultant in 2005. She has served more than eleven years as Head of Department and was most recently the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at UNIBEN.

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Professor Ize-Iyamu is also a Commonwealth Fellow in Craniofacial Orthodontics, with advanced training from Oxford University Teaching Hospital in the UK and the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. Her international exposure and extensive professional network position her to introduce innovative practices and modern technologies to UBTH.

Her leadership profile is complemented by her academic contributions, including more than 55 publications in reputable local and international journals, which have contributed to evidence-based health policies and research. She is widely respected for her integrity, mentorship, and commitment to excellence, having trained and developed generations of medical professionals.

The appointment has garnered widespread praise from government officials and healthcare stakeholders, heralding a new era of transformative healthcare service delivery at UBTH, with a focus on patient-centered care, institutional excellence, and technological advancement.

Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu is married to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a prominent political figure and chieftain of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). She is also noted for her roles outside medicine as a pastor, business entrepreneur, and farmer based in Edo State.

With this historic appointment, UBTH is poised to strengthen its position as a premier medical and research institution in Nigeria under the pioneering leadership of its first female Chief Medical Director.