Benjamin Ononeze has been a doctor his entire working life. For him, it all began back in his place of birth, Nigeria.
His parents maintained a loving home overseen by a hard-working civil-servant father and a mother who believed in resilience and discipline. Between his parents, Benjamin grew up with a deep-seated realisation that education was the key to success.

A Love Of Education

Thanks to a privileged upbringing, his parents were able to send him to a private school where he thrived. Upon completion of his secondary school education, Benjamin decided to study medicine at the college of medicine at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
He worked hard through his degree years, eventually graduating in 1986. Upon completion of a mandatory year of National Youth Service, he came to the UK to undergo specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Alongside this training, he studied for a master’s degree in Medical Science, awarded in 2000 from the University College Hospital Galway, Ireland.
Having qualified, Dr Ononeze became a consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Thanks to his love of hard work, he went on to complete a course in clinical education, allowing him to lend his support to future generations of doctors in training. Because of this, he was also appointed to a lead consultant in undergraduate education.
Following a period of six years of difficulties with his medical career, his faith would be tested again just a few years later, as the wave of deaths swept the nation due to the Covid-19 virus. He struggled with fear during the time, as his age, ethnicity, and profession combined to put him at risk of dying from this new disease. With no vaccine or treatment during those early months, he feared he would not survive to see the other side.

Charity Endeavours

Thankfully, for Benjamin and his family, he did survive both these ordeals. Alongside his wife, Benjamin has raised 3 boys, now all fully grown. Each has gone on to study at university and find their own field of expertise. For the youngest of these three children, it seems he is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps, having studied biomedical science and working in a hospital in the UK.
Benjamin and his wife created the Ben & Victoria Ononeze Foundation, a charity that provides medical care via an outreach program in Imo State, South Eastern Nigeria. The foundation helps provide free medical consultations, eye examinations, health education, and more. Its most recent project, aiming to restore sight to 200 villagers in rural Nigeria, carried out 10 cataract operations in January 2022.
Not only does Benjamin run his own charity, but he also gives time and money to other organisations. Benjamin volunteers with Safe Families, a project that provides homes and days out to children and families in need of them. In addition, he offers toys, clothes, and bikes to the families. Alongside that, Benjamin donates to a range of small charities.

The Future

Benjamin Ononeze continues to dedicate his life to helping others. He currently holds 36 years of medical experience under his belt and aims to carry on working for a little while yet. However, with 6-8 more years until retirement beacons, Benjamin is looking forward to finding time to be able to concentrate on his hobbies of walking, cycling, golfing, and gardening.
To date, Benjamin has participated in over 60 educational events and conferences, spoken at numerous events, and had articles published in several journals. With more years of work in him, Benjamin hopes to contribute more to the NHS in terms of health care and training of junior doctors who are the leaders of tomorrow.