Founded in 1974
Small Research Grants
The trustees considered suggestions from several sources about the name of the Foundation, some to the effect that ‘Thomas’— the initiator and first chairman of the fund — should come first in the name of the foundation. The Foundation eventually decided to rename it Thomas-Bassir Biomedical Foundation, to reflect the fact that the idea for the establishment of Wellcome Nigeria Fund in 1974 originated when Thomas was the chairman of the board of directors of Wellcome Nigeria Limited and that of the fund, and consolidated its activities for more than two decades.
The CAC required a constitution for the registration of a not-governmental Organization, which describes its governance. The Constitution of the Thomas-Bassir Biomedical Foundation as accepted by the CAC contains all the elements of the deed of trust of Wellcome Nigeria Fund of 1974 as revised in 1994, when the fund was renamed as the Thomas-Bassir Biomedical Foundation. The trustees have added one organ called “The Governing Board,” consisting of the Registered Trustees (Executive Board) and not more than four (4) other Nigerians. This provision enables the trustees to bring into the governance of the Thomas-Bassir Biomedical Foundation (TBBF) distinguished Nigerians who believe in the aims of the Foundation, and can act in an advisory capacity.
Professor Olisa Sunny Ndekwu has expertise in Media and Communications. He graduated from the University of Ibadan and did his PhD at the University of Ibadan in 1983.
He has worked most of his life as a Teacher and a Communications/Media Practitioner. He was in Radio Nigeria for 2 years and spent another 18 years with the NTA Ibadan, where he was a Television Producer with multiple Award-winning Productions.
He transferred his Services to the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, where he spent another 15 years as the Director of the Biomedical Communication Centre till he Retired.
He started the Mass Communication Department Undergraduate Programme at Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo in 2005. He lectured Communication and Media Courses, with a specialization in Broadcasting for more than 18 years. It was his contribution as an Andrian.
Most of his publications are Television Documentaries, some of which won Awards both locally and internationally.
He was invited by the US government with 17 other Journalists for training at the VOA, in WASHINGTON, DC. It was based on one of the Award-winning Programmes, he produced for the NTA Ibadan that won the 1st position in the Documentary Category during NIFETEP 88 TV Competition in Nigeria.
Finally, for all those who enjoyed TV drama, (KOKO CLOSE} was created by him and produced for 5 years in NTA Ibadan from 1982. It was Award Winning. It went on syndication to about 10 other TV Stations.
Other important publications include Research Reports for the WHO, APOC, and FORD FOUNDATION. He was a Communications Consultant for these Organizations for a period when he was in the College of Medicine.
Others include publications in Public and Environmental Health and Issues in Costing HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiatives with NISER {2002}, and Environmental Communication in the Dynamics of National Developments in the Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary. {2014}.
He has two essential PATENTS which include some significant LOGOS currently in use.
1. LOGO for RIVER BLINDNESS for the WHO.
2. LOGO for BABY FRIENDLY INITIATIVE, {A mother Breastfeeding her Baby on her left side breast}. funded by JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. It was Award Winning for the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
