MBBS, Medicine & Surgery
College of Medicine, University of Lagos
About
Clinic. Capital. Government.
Biography
Dr Olamide Okulaja is a medical doctor and health economist who has spent two decades moving between the clinic, the development finance institution and government.
He qualified in medicine at the University of Lagos in 2005, practised in Lagos and with NHS 24 in Scotland, and took an MBA in International Healthcare Management at the University of Aberdeen. He later earned a Certificate in Health Economics and Policy, with Distinction, from the London School of Economics.
He built the market for hospital information systems in the private sector. At the International Finance Corporation he financed community health insurance and private providers. At PharmAccess Foundation he led advocacy and programme development. For the Lagos State Government he has worked on health economics, health insurance and pandemic response.
He is Chief Growth Officer of Maisha Meds, leading growth across Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. He advises the Lagos State Commissioners for Health and for Commerce on a pro bono basis, and is the founder of Imadeforte Holdings, whose affiliated companies build healthcare, property and workforce technology.
Career
Twenty years, read in order.
2025 – now
Chief Growth Officer
Maisha Meds · Lagos & East Africa
Leads growth, government partnerships and financing for health technology running in 6,000 pharmacies and drug shops. Joined in May 2024 as Senior Director of Scale Programs. Leads engagement with the Federal Ministry of Health, NMEP and NASCP on malaria, HIV and tuberculosis.
2024 – now
Technical Adviser to the Hon. Commissioner Pro bono
Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment
Investment promotion, industrial policy and cooperatives. Co-author of the Lagos State Industrial Policy 2025–2030; Co-Chair, Technical & Programmes Committee, Invest Lagos 3.0; the ₦10bn LASMECO matching fund and cooperative digitisation.
2021 – now
Technical Adviser, Health Economics & Financing Pro bono since 2024
Lagos State Ministry of Health
From June 2021, Technical Assistant to the Commissioner for Health. Coordinated the Governor's COVID-19 Think Tank, led the Medical Diagnostics and Service Provision Scheme and the technical build of the Lagos Private Health Partnership, and helped shape the Lagos Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination. Represented the Governor at the October 2021 launch of mandatory health insurance regulation.
2023 – now
Founder & Chief Executive
Imadeforte Holdings
Management and technical consulting group and holding company for ventures in healthcare consulting and technology, property technology and workforce technology.
2017 – 2021
Director, Advocacy & Programme Development
PharmAccess Foundation Nigeria
Public and private sector liaison, policy research and domestic resource mobilisation. Facility revitalisation through access to finance: 43 facilities in Lagos and 25 in Delta. Adamawa health insurance; SafeCare quality standards with Ogun State.
2014 – 2017
Health Financing Specialist
International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group
Led the World Bank Group's engagement in Ogun and Lagos States. Managed the Ogun community-based health insurance scheme, chaired the AHME and World Economic Forum unit overseeing 14 PPP initiatives, and served as interim partnership lead of the US$60m AHME programme.
2010 – 2013
Health business development
Medsystems · The Bridge Clinic · Paelon Memorial Clinic
Pioneer business development manager for a hospital management information system; launched the Institute of Fertility Medicine at LASUTH with The Bridge Clinic; Head of Administration at Paelon Memorial Clinic.
2005 – 2010
Clinical practice
LUTH · FMC Ebute-Metta · Model Specialist Hospital · NHS 24
House officer at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, NYSC medical officer, medical officer in Surulere, then frontline triage with NHS 24 in Scotland.
Education & registration
Trained to treat. Trained to price.
1998 – 2005
2008 – 2009
MBA, International Healthcare Management
University of Aberdeen, Scotland
2022
Health Economics & Policy
London School of Economics. Certificate, Distinction.
Since Aug 2005
Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria
Registered medical practitioner
Since Sep 2009
Chartered Management Institute, UK
Member
Recognition
With the PharmAccess team
Lagos State Health Family merit award, 2018. HCPAN Corporate Partnership Award, 2020, accepted as Director.
Declaration of interests
Advising in public, declared in public.
Dr Okulaja's advisory roles with the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment are held pro bono.
He is employed by Maisha Meds and is founder and Chief Executive of Imadeforte Holdings, whose affiliated companies include REALMS Healthcare Services Consulting, Genesys Health Information Systems, Qura and Girard Property. He recuses himself from advice on any matter in which these companies have an interest.