Dr. Everest Okpara | |
---|---|
Born | |
Alma mater | Lagos State University |
Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
Known for | Medical diagnostics; healthcare philanthropy |
Title | Managing director and CEO, Everight Diagnostic & Laboratory Services Ltd |
Spouse | Roseline Okpara |
Website | everightlab |
Everest Okpara is a Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist known for his work in Medical diagnostics and Healtcare sector in Nigeria. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Everight Diagnostic & Laboratory Services Ltd and the founder of Everight Healthcare Foundation, a non-profit organisation involved in community medical outreach in Nigeria. [1] [2] [3] He was the president of the Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCCIMA). [4]
Everest Okpara was born in Isiekenesi, in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, and was raised in a small household in which he helped with his mother's catering business. [5] He attended Community Primary School, Dimagu, and National Secondary School Ntueke in his home area, before moving into business and healthcare entrepreneurship. [5] [6]
Okpara earned a bachelors degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management at Lagos State University and later undertook coursework or short programmes in public-health related topics, including biostatistics and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. He also completed a Healthcare Management program at Lagos Business School and earned an MBA and a PhD from Charisma University, USA. [5] [6]
Everest Okpara founded Everight Diagnostic & Laboratory Services Ltd in 2005; under his leadership the organisation expanded to operate diagnostic centres in Owerri, Lagos and Abuja and added molecular-testing capability during the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] [7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Everight was listed among private laboratories contributing PCR testing in Nigeria and appears in multiple Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) situational reports as an active testing centre for inbound/outbound travellers and routine testing at different times in 2021–2022. The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) records show the laboratory's ISO15189 accreditation certificate for its Wuse 2 (Abuja) facility. [5]
Okpara also founded the Everight Healthcare Foundation, a non-profit organisation which runs free medical testing, community health outreach, and public health education in Nigeria. [8] [3]
He is also the founder of Sangtech Technologies Nigeria Ltd, a healthcare-focused technology firm for developing e-health solutions, diagnostics automation and electronic health-record systems to support digitally-enabled healthcare delivery in Nigeria. [5] [9] [2]
In 2019 Okpara became the substantive president of the Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCCIMA); this appointment and his role in local organised private-sector bodies were reported in national and local business publications. [4]