By Adesina Soyooye
Again, the Okonjo family of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, has made Nigeria proud.
And the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, is bursting with pride.
Fresh from producing the first Black, as well as the first female Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO. – Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the family has again produced the first Black female to win the prestigious award of the First Family Physician, 2021, in Maryland, United States of America.
Dr. Njide Okonjo-Udochi, younger sister to Okonjo-Iweala, emerged the winner of the Best Family Physician Of The Year, 2021, in Maryland, United States of America.
The award was bestowed on her by the The Maryland Academy of Family Physicians (MDAFP).
The MDAFP award goes to a standout member who exemplifies the values and traditions of the family physician.
A Family Of Firsts; Younger Brother Appreciates Sisters, Parents
Dr Udochi is the first Black female to win the prestigious award. The Okonjo family is a family of trail-blazers, a fact not lost on them, or anybody.
The family produced Nigeria’s first female Finance Minister, the first Minister to hold that position in two different administrations; Nigeria’s first female Foreign Minister, and the first Minister to resign from office for lack of job satisfaction.
When President Olusegun Obasanjo reassigned Dr Okonjo-Iweala to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Ministry of Finance, she resigned after a few weeks in office. She was wooed back by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, appointed the Minister for Finance, with the added responsibility of coordinating the Economy.
Congratulating her younger sister in a tweet, WTO DG, Dr Okonjo-Iweala wrote: “Congratulations Dr Njideka Udochi, Maryland’s Family Physician Of The Year. Thank you for your care of COVID-19 patients and for saving so many lives. Proud of you my sister.”
But their brother, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Giant Beverages, Onyema Okonjo, could not hide the family’s pride in her two elder sisters. He attributed their feat to their parents, both of them, Professors in their own fields. He twitted:
“Congratulations to both of my older sisters (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala & Njide Okonjo-Udochi).
“And congratulations to my parents.
“My eldest sister for her success with the WTO, and my second sister for being selected as the best family practice doctor in Maryland, USA.
“My parents set the stage with their strong support for women. My mother has been a very passionate women’s rights advocate and, even as a retired Professor of Sociology in her 90’s, she still cares about women’s rights, equal rights, and equal access for women. May God bless both of you and may both of you continue to reach greater heights.”
Governor Okowa celebrated no less. Congratulating Dr Okonjo-Udochi, in a statement, he said that Delta State couldn’t be prouder of her feat, and the accomplishments of the Okonjos
Dr. Njide Okonjo-Udochi founded Millennial Family Care in 2003. She was announced Baltimore Magazine Top Doctor in 2019. She is, also, recognized as a top Primary Care Doctor in Maryland and beyond, and is featured as a Medical Expert on Doctors’ Interviews on CNN, FOX News, CNBC, and other international news channels.
Dr Okonjo-Udochi read Medicine at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and graduated in 1988. And, has 33 years experience in her field of specialization.
