Omowunmi Afolabi is a development consultant and researcher with over 10 years’ experience as a consultant and advisor to private organisations, governments and non-governmental organisations for the development and implementation of unique educational and health programs with a focus on the economically disadvantaged communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Omowunmi has led several multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams to implement large and comprehensive MDG projects that focuses on water supply, hygiene and sanitation across West Africa.

Omowunmi currently works with the University of Arizona as the National Coordinator for the H3Africa Kidney Disease Research Network, leading the University’s research efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. She provides project management and clinical monitoring for the NIH funded multi-centre cohort and case control studies in 18 clinical sites across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun, Tanzanian and Uganda supervising about 90 health and academic researchers, including medical practitioners and academic professors.

She also leads a community based initiative TEACH (Transforming Education and Championing Health) which is an integrated school health, school feeding, and public pre-primary & primary education project that specifically addresses certain targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3&4.

TEACH has directly benefited over 2,500 public school pupils in more than 10 communities in Nigeria. Omowunmi has received several awards in recognition of her effort towards promoting education and health, including the merit award from the Yobe State Government for community development in 2009.

Omowunmi has successfully participated in over 60 different learning programs organized by the USAID that relates to health and education. She is also a regular facilitator at professional seminars, women and youth empowerment conferences across West Africa.