Ota was recognized and honored as a finalist in two categories; Positive Role Model and Inclusive Leader; at the prestigious Africa and Middle East Gender Mainstreaming Awards. This recognition underscores her authentic leadership and the powerful impact she continues to have on those who have experienced her work and vision firsthand (April 2025).
My Journey
Driving Change, Building Partnerships and Creating Healthier Futures
Ota Akhigbe has been behind some transformational projects in healthcare, finance, and infrastructure, bringing in significant funding and making positive, lasting impact by building strategic partnerships with a focus on sustainable solutions.
Current role & impact
Driving Change in Healthcare
As the Director of Partnerships and Programs at eHealth Africa (eHA), she's at the forefront of efforts to transform healthcare delivery across Africa. With a background in banking, she's got a knack for financial analysis, risk management, and crafting strategic partnerships. These days, she channels that expertise into securing funding and driving programs that tackle critical healthcare challenges. Her work is all about building connections, managing complex initiatives, and improving healthcare access—especially for communities that need it most. She's passionate about creating real, lasting change in how healthcare is delivered and experienced across Africa.
Highlights
Ota's Latest
Ota participated in the High Tea closing event for Women’s Month celebration, hosted by BellaNaija in collaboration with eHA. As a panelist, she delivered a compelling message on the urgent need to prioritize women’s health, emphasizing the critical gaps in information and care that persist from adolescence through womanhood (April 2025).
Ota spoke at the Olin Africa Business Forum 2025 in St. Louis, participating as a panelist on the Health Panel. She shared insights on the topic Scaling Innovation for Accessible and Equitable Health Services. Her contribution highlighted practical strategies to bridge the gap between innovation and impact, emphasizing equity and accessibility in healthcare across Africa (March 2025) .
Ota has been proudly named one of the 2025 Top 100 Career Women in Africa by Ascent Club, a prestigious recognition celebrating her impactful contributions, leadership, and dedication to excellence in her field (March 2025).
Ota attended #UNCSW69 in NYC, where she engaged in powerful conversations on investing in adolescent girls' health and empowerment. She connected with global partners, exploring innovative, real-world solutions to drive lasting change in Nigeria and beyond. (March 2025)
Ota attended Sankalp Africa 2025, joining global changemakers to explore bold, strategic partnerships and innovative collaborations, as well as innovations in healthcare. (March 2025)
Ota participated in the Building Resilient Health Systems through PPPs workshop in Kano, joining discussions on how technology, community trust, and public-private partnerships can improve healthcare delivery in rural Africa. (February 2025)
At #WEDC2025, she joined the conversation on ethical AI in education, highlighting eHealth Africa's commitment to data protection, community-driven design, and responsible development to ensure equitable access to learning for all. (January 2025)
At the Mata Conference, she joined the conversation on empowering women in tech, sharing how eHealth Africa promotes gender equality through initiatives like the eHA Academy, support for women-led startups, and building gender-balanced teams. (December 2024)
At the Global Digital Health Forum in Nairobi, Ota hosted key events, led a breakout session, and showcased innovations like PlanFeld, all focused on transforming health systems. (December 2024)
She attended an exclusive cocktail event in Nairobi, hosted by eHealth Africa and Brands on a Mission, where key stakeholders, including organizations like PharmAccess, Reach Digital Health, and CIFF, discussed strategies to transform adolescent health in Nigeria. (December 2024)
She attended the 'Building Resilient Health Systems through PPPs' workshop in Kano, hosted by EHA Clinics, where she connected with healthcare stakeholders and received a copy of Pharm Ahmed I. Yakasai's book, The Pharmaceutical Industry and Drug Production in Nigeria. (December 2024)
She joined the exclusive #BOLDCommunity gathering at ZeitzMOCAA in Cape Town, engaging with over 40 innovators in a creative and collaborative environment. She was seen posing with Motunrayo Opayinka, Founder of Womenovate, and Réka R. Artner, Head of the BOLD Community. (December 2024)
Ota led the session "Picking the Right Lane: The Road to Digital Inclusion" at the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, where she discussed strategies for closing Africa's digital gap alongside leaders like Kate Dewing, Sinal Govender, and Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui. (November 2024)
She attended the #InspiringFiftyAfrica awards, where eHealth Africa proudly partnered in celebrating inspiring women leaders in technology. It was an energizing evening spent with like-minded individuals, all coming together to honor and empower those shaping the future of tech. (November 2024)
Ota attended MTN Foundation's 20th Anniversary Conference, exploring future collaboration opportunities and is seen posing with Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director, MTN Foundation. (November 2024)
She attended the REACH 2024 Meeting in Abuja on child mortality and met with Zak Health's Co-Founder to explore tech-driven healthcare solutions in Africa. (November 2024)
She joined eHealth Africa's Annual Board Retreat, where the focus was on scaling operations, expanding partnerships, and driving healthcare innovation. The retreat featured a board-hosted dinner, showcasing the LoMIS system. (November 2024)
At the Digital Health & AI Innovation Summit in Boston, the focus was on leveraging AI to improve healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key discussions explored strategic partnerships to advance eHealth Africa's digital health initiatives, with Ota actively participating in shaping these conversations. (October 2024)
Representing eHA Impact Ventures at the Startup South Conference, Ota moderated a panel on female venture investing and announced a $75,000 investment in the women-led Amayi Foods Limited. (October 2024)