Professor Olawale Sulaiman, MD.,PhD., FRCS(C), CON is a Canadian and American-trained neurosurgeon, academician and physician Executive of Nigerian heritage.[1][2] He is the CEO and Chief Medical Director of RNZ Global Ltd, a healthcare development, operations and management company he started in 2010.[3][4][5] He is also the chief medical officer of RNZ Clinic where he oversees one of the best neurosurgery and spine practice in Sub -Sahara Africa. In 2019, He was appointed as Special Adviser to the Governor of Kwara State on Health Matters.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
At age 19, the brilliant Olawale Sulaiman was fortunate to receive a scholarship to study medicine at the Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria[13] through the Bureau for External Aid, a Nigerian government program that offers scholarships to exceptional Nigerian students to study abroad.[1] The Scholarship was a cornerstone in his career journey.
He completed his medical degree at Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria[13] during which he also completed an MSc. degree. His brilliance and academic excellence took him to Canada where he also won Canadian government scholarships for his post-graduate PhD. degree in Neurosciences at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and a training scholarships for his Neurosurgery residency which he completed with a board-certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.[14][5][13] He then secured 2 additional Fellowship awards for sub-specialty trainings in the USA in complex spine surgery and nerve reconstruction surgery at Louisiana State University and at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, USA respectively.
He was system chairman of neurosurgery and co-medical director at the Ochsner Neuroscience Institute until January 2019[14][6] and then serves as the medical director, international medicine, African Region, Ochsner Health system.[15][13] He was a professor of neurosurgery at Tulane University.[16] Currently, a visiting professor at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, and adjunct professor to University of Abuja. He is the CEO and chief medical director of RNZ Global Ltd, a healthcare development, operations and management company he started in 2010.[3][4][1][5] He is co-founder and chief medical officer of Hippo Technologies, a virtual healthcare technology company he helped found in 2020. On May 17, 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Science, Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
While working as the Chairman of Neurosurgery at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, USA, Sulaiman negotiated a reduction in his annual salary by 25% to free up time for him to travel to Nigeria every month to participate in education, training, and provision of medical care to Nigerians including free neurosurgery and spine care.[1] Through his position in the USA, he has trained hundreds of medical students, resident Doctors and Fellows as well as facilitated the training of Nigerian Doctors at his hospital by providing scholarships. Furthermore, he has facilitated the involvement of prominent American healthcare companies in Nigeria by providing hands-on training and education to Neurosurgeons, Orthopedic Surgeons, and Resident Doctors. He has also been involved in countless medical missions where thousands of Nigerians benefited from free medical and surgical care. He also co-founded RNZ Foundation with his wife, Mrs. Patricia Sulaiman to provide free medical services for Nigerian patients and training for healthcare professionals.[3][5][17][18]
He is married to Patricia, a nurse practitioner,[1][19][20] and they have three children, Rahim, Zaynab, and Najeeb.[21][4]
He was shortlisted as one of the Sixty (60) most influential Nigerians, at "Your Views" Nigeria at 60th Diamond Jubilee series (Morayo,2020), in recognition of his selfless humanitarian services and career achievements home and abroad. Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) also shortlisted him as one of the top +600 most prominent Nigerians at the 60th Independent anniversary. He was conferred the Distinguished Citizen Award in (2019) by the Nigerian Canadian Association of Calgary (NCAC) presented by Adeyinka Olatokunbo Asekun, the Nigerian ambassador to Canada. Recently, he was also awarded the rank of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Muhammed Buhari[22] for his patriotism and humanitarian services home and abroad. In recognition of his humanitarian services in his homeland, he was given various traditional titles namely, the Asiwaju Ewe of Ajase-Ipo, Jangunmolu of Esie kingdom, Bobagunwa of Oro Kingdom, Aare Tayese of Isanlu Isin, and Aare Madekun of Obbo-Ile. He was also awarded the Lions Clubs Metropolitan award of excellence (2022), patriotic personality award by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS, 2022), Ewa Igbomina Icon Award and personality of the year (Ewa Igbomina Cultural fiesta,2022), Youth and Community Development Award by Igbomina Youth Assembly (IYA, 2021), Legends Award (FIBAN Kwara State, 2021), Humanitarian and Philanthropic award by Unity and progressive forum Aran-orin (2021), Icon of Hope Award by Ekiti State University (Ekiti Uni, COED 2021), Outstanding Youth Ambassador and Philanthropist of our time by Kwara South Youth movement (2021) amongst others.