Wilberforce International Institute is excited to welcome a new faculty member, Dr. Sylvanus A. Ayeni, who will be working with the Institute as a Faculty Associate and the Coordinator for our Africa Working Group. The Africa Working Group focuses on empowering African and African diaspora mentees. The Africa Working Group is a critical part of Wilberforce and its vision to train international students, past and present, to be Redemptive Change Agents in their own societies. Dr. Ayeni brings both passion and vision to his new role. As a past speaker at the 2019 Global Summit, Dr. Ayeni is well known to many of our mentees.
Dr. Ayeni is a retired neurosurgeon, university faculty, and has been involved in development issues in Sub-Saharan Africa for many years. He is the author of: RESCUE THYSELF: Change In Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come From Within. Dr. Kevin Cooney, President of Wilberforce International Institute, praised Dr. Ayeni, “I am excited to have such a talented and passionate man helping guide our mentees. Dr. Ayeni has a heart for God and the two great commandments, ‘Love the Lord your God…and your neighbor as yourself’ as a guiding passion of his life. I know that he will be a blessing and inspiration to our mentees in their callings to be God’s Redemptive Change Agents.”
When asked about his new role at Wilberforce, Dr. Ayeni had this to say, “I have been in this arena for more than three decades. I have firsthand experience from the poorest village to near the highest levels of power in Africa. My intention is to work with the mentees to achieve their goals as seamlessly as possible and offer advice and guidance. Our Heavenly Father has blessed the continent of Africa with everything it needs ‘to be fruitful and multiply.’ My hope is that one day, Africa would rid itself of the culture of dependency and with God’s help I can see the Wilberforce mentees moving this process forward.” Please welcome Dr. Ayeni. You may contact him at sylvanus.ayeni@wilberforceii.org .
Short Bio of Dr. Sylvanus A. Ayeni
Dr. Ayeni is a retired neurosurgeon who was born and raised in Nigeria. He graduated from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. This was followed by two years of general surgery training at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, and residency training in neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals, Madison, Wisconsin. He then undertook research fellowships in Fulda, Germany and Osaka, Japan. As a doctor, he worked as a civilian neurosurgeon for the US Navy and was on the faculty at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha Nebraska. Dr. Ayeni has been involved in development issues in Sub-Saharan Africa for many years at all levels of society. He is the author of: RESCUE THYSELF: Change In Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come From Within. Married with three children and two grandchildren; he resides in Maryland, USA.