For Professor Chima Ariel Onoka, the journey toward transforming Nigeria’s healthcare system did not begin in lecture halls – it began in the dim glow of a kerosene lamp in a struggling hospital.
Standing at the intersection of academia and policy, the University of Nigeria professor has built a career challenging the traditional boundaries of scholarship. His concept of the “pracademic” is not just a professional identity—it is, in his words, a national necessity.
A System That Fails the Vulnerable
Throughout decades of practice, Onoka encountered a recurring diagnosis that extended beyond illness: poverty, exclusion, and systemic neglect. Whether in rural clinics, urban hospitals, or humanitarian missions, the pattern remained unchanged.
To him, health outcomes are deeply tied to what experts describe as the Social Determinants of Health—income, geography, and social status. These realities often determine who receives care and who is left behind.
His early exposure to grassroots healthcare, influenced by his mother’s work in primary health care coordination, shaped his understanding that medicine alone cannot solve public health crises.
The Night That Changed Everything
One defining experience crystallized his perspective. As a young doctor and hospital director, Onoka faced a life-or-death emergency involving a woman with complications from childbirth. With no functional referral system and minimal resources, he improvised – ultimately saving her life.
But the victory felt hollow.
“That night,” he suggested, marked the realization that clinical excellence cannot compensate for a broken system. The experience exposed the harsh truth: without systemic reform, healthcare delivery remains inconsistent and inequitable.
From Doctor to Systems Architect
That turning point propelled Onoka into the fields of public health, health economics, and policy. He began to examine healthcare not just as a service, but as a system shaped by financing, governance, and political will.
His work now focuses on designing frameworks that ensure sustainability – what he calls “invisible systems” that quietly enable effective leadership and service delivery.
Central to this vision is Universal Health Coverage, which he describes as the only viable safeguard against catastrophic health spending. In Nigeria, where out-of-pocket payments dominate, illness often translates into financial ruin.
The Rise of the Pracademic
Onoka’s solution lies in redefining expertise. The pracademic, he argues, is someone who thrives in both theory and practice – equally comfortable publishing research and shaping policy.
Such individuals are critical in navigating the “last mile” of implementation, where many well-designed policies fail. By understanding both data and political realities, pracademics can ensure that reforms are not only evidence-based but also feasible.
Importantly, he notes that pracademics are not confined to universities. They exist across think tanks, NGOs, private sector organizations, and government institutions – forming a larger ecosystem of change agents.
Rethinking the Ivory Tower
Onoka also challenged traditional academic institutions to evolve. Universities, he argued, must move beyond knowledge production to active engagement in policy and societal transformation.
The surge in scholarly output at UNN reflects progress, but he insists that impact – not volume – should be the ultimate measure of success.
A Call to Action
At its core, Onoka’s message is both urgent and pragmatic: Nigeria already possesses the knowledge required to achieve UHC. What remains is the ability to translate that knowledge into action.
Bridging this divide demands collaboration, adaptability, and a willingness to confront power structures that hinder progress.
In a country where millions still face barriers to healthcare, the pracademic model offers more than a new way of thinking – it offers a path forward.
