The University of Ibadan, in collaboration with the College of Medicine and University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has partnered with the Frederick Foundation to strengthen stroke care, research, and medical education in Nigeria. The partnership aims to improve stroke services, build the capacity of healthcare professionals, and support research into stroke prevention and treatment. This initiative was inaugurated on September 30, 2026, in Ibadan.
The Frederick Foundation was established in December 2023 by Oxford Emeritus Professor of Neuropathology Margaret Esiri, in memory of her late husband, Dr. Frederick Esiri. Professor Esiri said her late husband's commitment to improving healthcare in Nigeria inspired the foundation. Dr. Esiri, an Oxford medical graduate from Nigeria, returned to the country in 1981 and ran a health clinic in Taraba State for over 20 years.
The foundation will work with the University of Ibadan, UCH, and Oxford University to strengthen stroke care and reduce mortality. It will also provide opportunities for medical students through an exchange program between the University of Ibadan and Oxford. Early initiatives include sending a seven-member clinical team from Ibadan to observe operations at the Royal Berkshire Hospital's Stroke Unit, supported by educational webinars.
The partnership includes a reciprocal student exchange program, sending two medical students each between Ibadan and Oxford to advance education and research in clinical neuroscience. Professor Esiri raised key public health questions on encouraging preventative lifestyle changes, securing government support for stroke care, and expanding quality treatment to low-resource settings.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, described the foundation as a transformation of personal loss into a legacy of hope. He noted that limited resources and access to specialized treatment continue to affect stroke care in Africa. The foundation aims to transform stroke care across Sub-Saharan Africa by addressing critical healthcare deficits.
The partnership will focus on strengthening acute stroke unit operations at UCH, Ibadan, establishing standardized clinical workflows, and driving actionable research that can be scaled across resource-limited settings. The Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Professor Taiwo Lawal, said the partnership creates opportunities for academic collaboration, clinical training, and research.
The foundation has awarded four travel grants to medical students from the University of Ibadan and Oxford. Plans are underway to support the development of an acute stroke unit at UCH, Ibadan. The partnership between the University of Ibadan and the Frederick Foundation marks a significant step towards improving stroke care and research in Nigeria.
Key points
- The partnership aims to improve stroke services, build the capacity of healthcare professionals, and support research into stroke prevention and treatment.
- The foundation will work with the University of Ibadan, UCH, and Oxford University to strengthen stroke care and reduce mortality.
- The partnership includes a reciprocal student exchange program between the University of Ibadan and Oxford to advance education and research in clinical neuroscience.
