Black people can be excellent leaders — First African female Chicago health commissioner, Olusimbo Ige

Ige

The first black female Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Dr Olusimbo Ige, speaks with GODFREY GEORGE AND OGHENOVO EGODO-MICHAEL about her career and other issues

Can you share with us your early life in Nigeria and what inspired you to pursue a career in public health?

I was born and raised in Ibadan, Oyo State. My father was a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, while my mother was a principal. I grew up in the academic community and we lived on the university campus but we were very exposed to the realities around us. I grew up in a family of about 15 – 20 people because many of the people from our village who wanted to go to school had to live in our home. I got exposed to the reality of people seeking healthcare even though they could not afford it. In my family, we had a number of people with Sickle Cell disease who we lost even at a tender age. I also saw people die from typhoid at a very young age. I was interested in medicine because of these experiences. I started my journey at the University College Hospital in Ibadan and when I went for my Youth Service, I realised that prevention is important. When I arrived at work, there would be over 200 people waiting, and all of them were mostly sick of preventable illnesses. I chose public health because I watched people die around me as they couldn’t afford to take care of themselves. In my experience studying medicine and during my youth service, I saw people who could not afford healthcare die, and that inspired my decision to go into public health.

What were the most significant challenges you faced while relocating from Nigeria to the United States?

The expression of health issues in both countries is different. The issues faced in Nigeria are different from those faced in the US. There are some similar things but many different things. Being able to understand the new context is one of the immediate things I had to do. I also had to understand that people’s perception of the education standards and the competencies of the foreign medical graduates is always a question. I wanted to be able to distinguish myself as I know that my educational background is not inferior to others. However, the biggest challenge is overcoming the very pervasive structure in the US. People of colour are often seen as inferior. If you have an accent or look different, people just think that you are less. So, for a very long time in my early years, I had a lot of rejection but I spent a lot of time making sure I had a very solid knowledge of what was happening around me, so that when I made decisions or recommendations, they were based on understanding of what is really happening and the more I was able to do things that worked, the more appreciation and respect that I earned. In a short time, people started to recognise that I am a leader that knows what I am doing, and that began to open more doors for me.

How did your experiences growing up in such a large family shape your perspective on public health and healthcare delivery?

I am one of the youngest in my family so being able to speak up for myself was something that my parents encouraged, even though I had siblings that were way older. My parents allowed me contribute to issues, even though I was young. I also had parents that believed very strongly in education and didn’t limit a girl child. My parents believed that even though you’re a woman, you should attain the highest level of education, and we were encouraged to be the best that we could be and not put ourselves down because we were women. Because of my large family, I was exposed to different human beings, so when I came to New York where there are so many kinds of people, I was able to understand other cultures and backgrounds. I was reminded that my culture and background is not the only way, and that prepared me to work in a multi-diverse and multi-cultural team.

What motivated you to move abroad and continue your education and career in the United States?

I wanted to contribute to decision making and policies. I found that in Nigeria, a lot of the work I was doing in public health was determined in the United States. The US determined who got support. All the vaccines we got were from the US or a US organisation and sometimes their view of what should happen is not always connected to reality so, I wanted to be able to bring the perspective of an African to decision making in a country that determines what happens in many other countries. I thought of what it would be like if someone from one of these developing countries could be part of the decision making in these developed countries. When I moved to the US, I was working in global health, supporting organisations in different countries and I could bring my understanding of that to the work. I could also bring my own understanding of the realities of living in a developing country to the world. I just wanted to be a part of the decision making and to be able to influence policies globally. I wanted the US to be able to learn from us and know that there can be global learning that can influence things locally.

Can you describe your journey from your initial roles in public health to becoming the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health?

All these happened within 10 years. I started my journey in UCH where I studied medicine and did my internship and house job. Then I did my residency at the Department of Community Medicine. When I finished my studies there, I got a job with the United States Agency for International Development as a management capacity building officer, so I worked with the Oyo State Department of Health, and Ministry of Health to design the malaria programme, and I did that for about four years then moved to the US. I moved to the US because of my family. When I moved there, I thought of what I could do in the US as an African so, I decided to do work related to malaria. I lived in Nigeria and had worked with malaria for long so, I got a job as a senior manager for malaria in an organisation called Encore and within six months of being in that role, I was fortunate enough to start acting as a director, because I could bring ideas of how we could make things better. I was asked to help build a global health department because of some of the ideas that I had besides tackling malaria. So, I became an executive director there in global ministries and also in charge of the work that was happening in different countries. I then went on to become a Commissioner Assistant at the New York City Department of Health. I had the privilege there during the COVID-19 pandemic to show that we could get vaccines to people of colour and improve their health. Afterwards, I went on to become the Managing Director of Programs at one of the biggest philanthropic foundations— Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and it was while I was there that I was approached with this offer to become the Commissioner of the city of Chicago. That was because of the success I had in working with people of colour, especially in black communities, and there are a lot of those people in Chicago. So, that was the journey from Nigeria to Chicago

What does it mean to you to be the first black woman to serve as commissioner in this role?

It means that we must never look down on ourselves or think that something is impossible or out of reach for us. Ten years ago, if someone said I would have been a commissioner, I would have laughed. But, I was very passionate about demonstrating that black people can be excellent leaders. We don’t always need to be followers. I think that is what is exciting to me because it shows that as black people, even if you are from a developing country, you can still be a leader. I am glad that I can encourage those coming behind me and inspire them that they can be effective leaders in spite of the difficulties and challenges around us.

What are some of the key initiatives you have introduced or plan to introduce as Commissioner to improve public health in Chicago?

There are a few things we have started to do. When I started, one of the challenges that we were facing was the migrant crisis. Lots of migrants with different medical issues were coming to Chicago so, being able to respond to that was quite a task but we are proud to say we were able to control one of the largest measles outbreak in the US as a result of the work that we have done. Another example was when we decided to look at the life expectancy for Chicago. The black community in Chicago does not live as long and well as the other communities in Chicago and we wanted to understand why. We started to see that the opioid overdose crisis is really impacting the black community so this summer, we launched a summer overdose safety campaign, and we did it door-to-door, knocking to get resources and services to people. We are very proud to say that we have seen a drop in the number of people dying of overdose compared to last year and other locations where we didn’t do this intervention.

Another thing is maternal and infant mortality. We also found out that in Chicago, black people die from pregnancy-related issues at six times the rate compared to other racial groups, and we wanted to find out why. Now, we are intensifying our home visitation programmes to ensure that we are meeting those who have a higher risk of complications at home and not requesting them to come to the hospital, as well as making sure we can screen them properly. We are also looking at HIV. We have less than 600 cases but we also see that those who are most likely developing and dying from HIV are mostly black people and we are already working on getting that to zero HIV cases by 2030. That requires us using a different approach dealing with the black community and making sure they have information and adequate resources in dealing with HIV. Those are some of the initiatives that impact the black and Latino community, and what we are doing to solve them.

What role do you think public health leaders should play in addressing systemic racism and health disparities?

I think we should acknowledge that it is hard for people who have been in power to just voluntarily give up that power, and it is easier for us to demonstrate the value of shared leadership and power. We are not asking people to treat people of colour in the community better but to treat everyone better. There are many black people who won medals in the Olympics because they had an enabling environment to thrive and because of that, they have become a pride to the US. If everyone can achieve their full potential, the US would be better for it and we all would be contributing in good ways thereby, highlighting the benefits of a diverse thriving community that would make the US a better country.

In what ways do you think your background as a Nigerian and an immigrant has influenced your leadership style?

It is often said that ‘Nigerians don’t carry last’. We always have the encouragement to do the best that we can. Many people think that Nigerians are aggressive and competitive. I think that Nigerians are trained to be the best that they can be, so we are not competing with anyone but ourselves. I think that is one adorable thing about Nigerians. Nigerians are one of the most educated immigrants in the US. We do really well here and I am very proud of that. Nigerians really appreciate and invest in education and I think that puts us in good standing wherever we go.

Finally, we are a communal people where everybody who is doing well is keen about helping the community and other people. We have a culture of looking out for one another, and those are values that have helped me in this role.

How do you stay connected to your roots in Nigeria, and what do you miss most about the country?

My family, including my parents and siblings, are in Nigeria. I still have families in Nigeria and I stay connected to them by visiting periodically. What I really miss the most about Nigeria is the food. I also have a very huge network of friends and colleagues back in Nigeria that help me stay updated with what is happening.

What are your thoughts on the current public health and economic challenges in Nigeria?

We always have to get our priorities right. Many of the things we prioritise are not the things that would help with the advancement of the economy and the country. We need to also redefine the role of the government in the lives of the people. We have many people who are experts and professionals but even when we come back to Nigeria and say we want to bring our expertise, we don’t get support. We also don’t spend our money on important things like education and health. Without infrastructure, things are hard. When there was Ebola, there were many professionals who knew what to do to control it. If there is Mpox, there are many people who know what to do to control it but the expertise doesn’t matter when there are no resources to do the work.

Do you have any plans or initiatives aimed at improving public health in Nigeria, given your expertise and experience?

What is really on top of my mind is how we can empower the next generation of public health and medical professionals in Nigeria to thrive. It is a little challenging when one is in the US and encouraging people to do better in Nigeria, especially as everybody wants to japa right now, and I don’t blame them. However, I think that if there are ways we can support the new generation of medical professionals in Nigeria to improve their skills and knowledge, that would be the space I want to do more. There are many Nigerians here who are willing to do things at home but their major limitation is security concerns and collaboration.

What advice would you give to young Nigerian women aspiring to leadership roles in public health or other fields?

My advice to people going into medicine, especially women, is to be careful who they marry. The support of your future in medicine depends on who you marry. It can be very challenging if you don’t have an understanding spouse. Many women don’t get to their full potential because their spouses snuff out their fire. As women, we should understand that we can be mothers and wives and still be professionals. Those who are in leadership should also be willing to help those who are coming behind them because we all need help. Sometimes, it takes a village, but women can also be leaders wherever they are and in whatever ways they decide to be.

What have been the most rewarding moments in your career so far and how have you been able to handle setbacks?

I would say one of my most rewarding moments was when I was with global ministries and we had an initiative to reach one million children for an intervention across 50 countries in Africa and Asia. When we got to one million, it was the most rewarding experience, because when we started, it seemed like an impossible dream. It was the highlight of my career that we got to one million children, because it was to say that we contributed to saving the lives of one million children who would have died before five if not for that intervention.

Another time was during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a testament to the fact that change is possible and we can help save lives. That is the power of public health— that we can save lives, and every life is worth saving.

How do you unwind?

I have a very beautiful family. I have a fantastic husband with two children and we really enjoy spending time with one another. We go on vacation and we like to tell our kids stories about Nigeria. Right now, I try to teach my kids the Yoruba proverbs and Nigerian culture, including how we had tales by moonlight when we were young. We enjoy those moments together and taking vacations but we also enjoy the little things of life. Just taking a walk down to go and visit family members is a good way to unwind. We love music, movies and exploring different kinds of food.

What is your favourite kind of food?

I enjoy eating rice and beans because I grew up as a twin. I even enjoy it better when I eat the rice and beans with ayamase stew

How would you describe your fashion sense?

I think Nigerians are very stylish people. In the US, people are so casual but you can never catch me in jeans and sneakers at work. I enjoy dressing up and showing up looking good. Most times when people see us as Nigerians, they think we are showing off, but we just like to look good.