The U.S. Department of State has honoured Nigerian Runcie C.W. Chidebe as one of the 80 Faces of Exchange in commemoration of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) 80 years anniversary. Runcie was selected for his exceptional community work in cancer policy advocacy, global health and cancer prevention in Nigeria. Since his return home as an IVLP alumnus, Chidebe applies leadership strategies gained during his program in the U.S. to facilitate social empowerment and justice to underserved communities.
On December 2, 2020, the IVLP Alumni Association in Nigeria hosted a conference to mark the IVLP 80th anniversary and inaugurate its new Executive Council at Sheraton Hotel Abuja. During her remarks, the U.S. Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard, congratulated Runcie for being one of the 80 faces of exchanges among 225,000 IVLP leaders from all over the world. Ambassador Leonard mentioned that the anniversary of IVLP takes place at the same time that the United States and Nigeria are celebrating 60 years of bilateral relations. And that the IVLP program impact has been profound in strengthening this relation. Each year, the U.S. Embassy and the Lagos Consulate select 50 outstanding Nigerians for the program which was founded in 1940. She urged the alumni to continue to inspire innovative programs and provide hope to Nigeria.
According to Runcie Chidebe who is founder and Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE, “working in Nigeria’s cancer care, supporting the government in cancer policy and working with patients can be depressing, however, it is inspiring for me to be honoured among the 80 Faces of Exchanges by the U.S. Department of State. I hope my story continues to inspire young people all over Nigeria and Africa to take up diverse sectors of development and make the needed positive change.”
Chidebe is an inspiring global health innovator, cancer control advocate and one of the leading voices in cancer care in Nigeria. He participated in the IVLP visits to Washington DC, Brattleboro, Texas, Albuquerque, and a few other cities. During his visits, he connected with many institutions, including the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Susan G. Komen, American Cancer Society.
Upon his return, he used the U.S. connection to bring two American cancer doctors to train 44 Nigerian doctors, established Nigeria’s first patient navigation, training for 34 nurses, online palliative clinic, translation of cancer awareness materials and a number of other collaborative projects between Nigeria and the United States.
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U. S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience U.S. first-hand and cultivate lasting relationships with the American community.
Contact
Mrs Khadijat Banwo-Fatai
Project Supervisor, Project PINK BLUE
Khadijat.banwo@projectpinkblue.org 08036667222
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