Author: Ayomide Oladimeji
Dr. Folorunso’s journey from a modest upbringing through parents and a family that make untainted love root for raising God fearing children has paved way for his academic and career success in becoming a global healthcare leader.
His background and educational environments has shaped his thirst for academic excellence without undermining morals, social justice and empathy. Dr Folorunso’s new academic feat in Global Healthcare Leadership programme is nothing short of extraordinary. His life story is a testament to the power of determination, resilience and compassion.
Dr Folorunso’s academic trajectory serves as an inspiration to millions of dreamers in Nigeria and around the world. “All our dreams can come true; if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney.
Dr Folorunso hails from Ikereku in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo. He is the second child of the family. He had his Primary and Secondary education at Mayflower Junior School and Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State. He proceeded to University of Ibadan to study Medicine and Surgery and earned Bachelor of Medicine; Bachelor of Surgery (MB;BS) from the prestigious University of Ibadan.
After his compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Dr Folorunso worked as a medical doctor in Oyo and Nasarawa States and later moved to public health programming with Solina Group, Abuja. Dr Folorunso’s quest for more knowledge took him to University College London (UCL) where he earned Master’s Degree (MSc) in Global Health & Development. Beyond Nigeria, Dr Folorunso worked with Gavi Alliance, Geneva.
While in Gavi Alliance, he led and shaped health systems immunization strength for middle income countries including a $250 million immunization cold chain equipment platform intervention.
Dr Folorunso later joined UNICEF Supply Headquarters, Denmark where he led optimization efforts to improve the design and efficiency of multiple country programmes’ delivery of vaccines and other products to underserved communities. To improve his management skills, the restless Dr Mayowa also earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with a Distinction from Warwick Business School (WBS), UK.
Not comfortable with current reducing performance in global healthcare and development, precipitated in its strongest forms by the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced official development assistance (ODA) and to position to deliver transformative healthcare leadership leveraging multiple sectors, Dr Folorunso took another academic journey to Oxford University where he graduated with a Distinction in MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Today’s Oxford University graduand, Dr Folorunso currently work with UNICEF Headquarters, Geneva, as a global lead for vaccine management and ensuring while ensuring that systems are in place to deliver immunization services effectively and equitably to all children globally irrespective of where they are.
Dr Folorunso experience in Oxford University has been nothing short of transformative, revolutionary, because it exposed his mind to different perspectives, given him tools that are needed for complex and really changing landscape in global healthcare.
In terms of diversity; the programme afforded Dr Folorunso to engage the mind-blowing history of Oxford University, value scholarship and collaboration. Dr Folorunso as a change agent and global healthcare leader has gotten the fusion of the skills, expertise, faculty, scholarship between the Business School and Primary Healthcare Sciences that has made it really go beyond expectations for him.
As a strong believer in service to humanity, Dr Folorunso currently lead a social enterprise initiative supporting countries such as Malawi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia and The Gambia to empower young people in small and medium scale enterprises with transport assets which they use to deliver vaccines, saving health workers’ time and increasing health delivery.
Through this novel initiative, Dr Folorunso did not only empower youths, he has created jobs for countless individuals which has helped to reduce the high NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) burden while delivering essential health services to the most vulnerable.
