Dr. Chioma Nwakanma-Akanno

Dr. Chioma Nwakanma-Akanno is a reproductive healthcare physician, public speaker and advocate. She’s the founder of Medically Speaking Services, and Creative Director of #DrZobo, a prominent virtual health literacy and advocacy platform dedicated to improving the health and rights of African women and adolescents through witty visual storytelling.
She is the Executive Director of SMILE WITH Me Foundation, a non-profit organisation leveraging digital technology to provide under-served women and adolescents with quality and affordable preventive reproductive healthcare services. Since 2017, her NGO has focused on 4 critical areas; STI and cervical cancer prevention, Menstrual hygiene management, contraceptive care, and Gender Based Violence Mitigation and Response.
She holds certifications in 'Leadership and Management in Healthcare' from the University of Washington, 'Research' from Harvard Medical School, GBViE from American University Yola, and Civic Engagement from the University of Delaware, USA.

Dr. Chioma's achievements include being an alumni of YALI RLC West Africa, a Mandela Washington Fellow, Publicity Secretary of MWF Alumni Association of Nigeria, and a digital health influencer for the International Centre for Journalism Knights Fellows. As a health Comms expert, she has successfully executed multiple public health advocacy projects in partnership with local and multilateral and UN organizations.
Adding to her laurels, she was honoured as the UNDP Geneva changemaker for SGS Geneva 2021, a 2-time Healthcare finalist of the Future Awards Africa, a 2021 recipient of the Royal African Awards, Guardian Woman 2024 and listed as one of the most powerful and Influential young Nigerians under 40. She is a cohort member of the 2023 Leap Women Africa programme for women in tech. These achievements, among many others, affirm her status as a true trailblazer in the field—a guiding light inspiring change and progress in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.