Draft:Adekemi Adeniyan

Adekemi Kikelomo Adeniyan (born 8 May 1987) is a Nigerian dentist, author, pastor, poet, and health equity advocate known for her innovative approach to combining arts and health promotion. She is the founder and executive director of Dentalcare Foundation. , a nonprofit organization working to provide equitable access to oral health for underserved communities in Nigeria. Adekemi is an ordained associate pastor at New Reality Christian Centre.

Early life and education
Adekemi began her education at Lara Day Nursery and Primary School in Ikeja, Lagos, where she obtained her Primary School Leaving Certificate. She then attended Federal Government Girls College in Omu-aran, Nigeria, earning her Senior and Junior School Certificates. She pursued her higher education at Ternopil State Medical University in Ukraine, graduating with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (2008-2013). She then furthered her studies with an MSc in Medical Leadership from Lancaster University, UK (2019-2022), under the Commonwealth Scholarship. In 2024, she graduated from the Shizenkan-IESE Joint MBA Elective Course on the Future of Capitalism, Tokyo-Barcelona.

Career and Advocacy
She founded the Dentalcare Foundation in 2018, focusing on providing free dental treatments and health education for underserved communities in Nigeria. Her work emphasizes breaking down barriers to oral health inequities through creative approaches.

She is the author of the first Nigerian oral health storybook "The Girl Who Found Her Smile" (2022), which has been translated into Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, French, and two Filipino local languages. In 2023 she also authored a coloring and activity book based on the story book. These books serve as an educational tool for children about oral health. Adekemi also produced the Oral Health Animation Series "Anita Says" using storytelling and art to change oral health narratives among young audiences.

In addition to her work in dentistry and children's literature, she has a diverse collection of published poems on Poetry Soup. She has also written flash fiction and short stories.

Fellowships and Recognitions
Adekemi has been awarded several prestigious fellowships, including:


 * Trinity Leadership Fellowship, New York (2023)
 * One Million Leaders Africa Fellow (2023)
 * Aspen New Voices Fellowship, Aspen Institute (2021)
 * African Changemakers Fellowship (2019)
 * Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity, George Washington University (2019)
 * Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) RLC West Africa Fellow (2016)
 * Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, United Kingdom (2015)

She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:


 * Global South Arts and Health Envoy (2024)
 * StudyUK Alumni Awards Nigeria Finalist, Social Action Category (2024)
 * Ideation Hub Africa 50 African Female Changemakers (2024)
 * Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition Judge (2024)
 * Universal Women's Network Canada, Woman of Inspiration Award Finalist (2022)
 * Diana Award Panel Judge, United Kingdom (2022)
 * Humanitarian Award Global, Female Most Exceptional Change Maker (Health), Ghana (2022)
 * COVID-19 Intervention Award, Ekiti Future Awards (2021)
 * Listed among Nigeria's 100 most inspiring women by Leading Ladies Africa (2020)
 * Her Network Woman of the Year (Healthcare) Award Nigeria Winner (2019)
 * Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship, Lancaster University (2019)
 * Wintrade Award Finalist, UK (2019)
 * Winner Best Team Simulation, YALI West Africa (2016)

Opinion Pieces
Adekemi has authored over 18 opinion pieces in notable media platforms such as BMJ Global Health, IPS, AllAfrica, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Post, Punch Nigeria, and the Daily Trust on topics related to health leadership, management, empowering women, and oral health.

Appearances and publications
Adekemi's speaking engagements span a range of global platforms. She has presented at the University of the Western Cape's Faculty of Dentistry Seminar, National Arts in Health Week Nigeria, International Association of Pediatric Dentistry Congress, IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion, Launch of the African Regional Summary of the WHO Global Oral Health Status Report (2023)and the Social Mission Alliance Conference. Her presentations focus on oral health inequalities, dispelling myths and bad habits, promoting oral health through storybooks, and initiatives in Africa.

Adekemi's work has garnered attention across various media outlets, including BellaNaija, The Guardian , Businessday , Nigerian Health Watch , Lioness Weekender , Lancaster University Alumni News , and Wecrispit Magazine. The Royal Commonwealth Society listed her as one of four outstanding women in science. She has also appeared on podcasts such as Sheroes Collective Womxn Authors and the Atlantic Fellow Literary and Storytelling Festival

External link

 * The Anita Series Website