In a historic move, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu as the first female Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Her appointment, which is effective from August 18, 2025, was confirmed in a letter signed by the Minister of Health, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
The appointment letter, dated August 8, 2025, congratulates Ize-Iyamu and urges her to “consolidate and improve on the state of the Hospital towards realising the mandate of a Teaching Hospital.” It also calls on her to “work collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure that the hospital continues to deliver quality healthcare services to all.”
A globally trained specialist, Professor Ize-Iyamu is a Commonwealth Fellow and a Craniofacial Orthodontist who honed her expertise at the Oxford University Teaching Hospital, United Kingdom, and the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. She joined UBTH in 1997 as a Junior Registrar and steadily rose through the ranks, becoming an Honourary Consultant in 2005.
Known for her integrity and results-driven leadership, she has served as Head of Department for over eleven years. She is a renowned teacher and mentor, credited with developing generations of doctors who now practice in leading medical institutions worldwide.
In her most recent role as the Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Benin, she was widely celebrated for attracting public-private partnerships, mobilizing resources, and significantly improving infrastructure and staff welfare. A prolific scholar, Professor Ize-Iyamu has over 55 publications in reputable local and international journals. Her international exposure and robust professional networks are expected to bring cutting-edge innovations and best practices to UBTH.
