Professor Olurotimi John Badero, a Nigerian-born medical specialist, has been recognised as the world’s first and only board-certified interventional cardio-nephrologist, a physician specialising in the treatment of both heart and kidney conditions.
Badero, whose family is from Isonyin in Ijebu land, Ogun State, is also described as Nigeria and Africa’s first Professor of Cardiology and Nephrology.
Born in Ibadan and raised in Lagos, Badero was the seventh of nine children. His childhood was marked by health challenges, including asthma and measles, but he developed an early interest in medicine after receiving treatment from doctors.
His academic journey began at Federal Government College, Odogbolu, where he excelled in his studies, graduating in 1988 with nine distinctions.
In 1987, he was among four students who won Nigeria’s maiden National Young Scientists’ Quiz.
He later gained admission to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 1988 to study Medicine and Surgery. He completed his medical internship at the university’s teaching hospital and his National Youth Service at General Hospital, Isolo, Lagos.
Badero subsequently travelled to the United States to pursue further medical training.
His early years in America were challenging. He reportedly worked as a taxi driver, earning $12 daily, while living in a mobile home.
Despite the difficulties, he passed all three stages of the United States Medical Licensing Examination within four months of arriving in the country.
He later secured a medical assistant position at a dermatology practice in California before gaining admission into a medical residency programme.
Badero completed 10 consecutive years of specialist medical training, including internal medicine residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, a nephrology fellowship at Emory University and cardiology training at Downstate.
He also undertook additional fellowships in interventional cardiology, peripheral vascular intervention and interventional nephrology, earning board certifications across six specialties.
In 2011, he performed the first transradial cardiac catheterisation and percutaneous coronary angioplasty at Central Mississippi Medical Center.
Three years later, he founded Cardiac Renal & Vascular Associates in Jackson, Mississippi.
His career has also included medical teaching, mentorship, international health consultancy and efforts to improve access to specialised healthcare in Africa.
Since 2015, Badero has returned to Nigeria several times to deliver lectures and provide training for medical professionals at Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Lagos.
In 2023, he became Chief of Interventional Cardiology and Director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at Iwosan Lagoon Hospital in Lagos.
At the hospital, he has performed several procedures described as firsts in Nigeria, including the country’s first selective renal angiogram and first endovascular limb-salvage revascularisation for critical limb ischaemia.
Between 2024 and 2026, his team also documented cases involving a coronary cameral fistula and an anomalous coronary artery identified through angiography in international medical journals.
Badero has received several recognitions, including the 2014 Mississippi Healthcare Hero award, the 2016 recognition in the United States Congressional Record and the 2019 Most Purposeful Healthcare Person in Nigeria award, presented by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2003 and the Association of Black Cardiologists’ scholarship in 2008.
The professor credits his achievements to his parents, particularly his father’s insistence on discipline and excellence.
His father, Chief Eliab Badero, often reminded him: “Good is not good enough. Strive for perfection.”
Speaking about his journey, Badero expressed gratitude to both countries for their contributions to his career.
“I am grateful to America for giving me the skills and opportunity to serve people here, but I am even more grateful to Nigeria for setting the foundation and starting me on the path that has brought me this far,” he said.
He is also a Visiting Professor of Medicine at the University of Lagos and a fellow of several professional medical organisations.
The DAWN Commission has celebrated him with the title Akinkanju, recognising his professional achievements and contributions to healthcare.
Source: DAWN
