10 Years
22 Years
2022
Award Name
Dr. Muhammad Shakir Balogun is a highly accomplished medical microbiologist and field epidemiologist with over two decades of experience in public health practice, research, and capacity building. He holds an MBBS from Ahmadu Bello University and an MPHp, with specialized training in Medical Microbiology completed at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in 2015, where he also served as Chief Resident (2014–2015) and contributed to the training of medical students in microbiology and immunology.
Dr. Balogun is a fellow of the prestigious GIBACHT Fellowship (2014–2015), a collaborative initiative involving the African Field Epidemiology Network, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Robert Koch Institute, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. His career has been deeply rooted in strengthening epidemiological capacity and health systems across Nigeria and the African region.
He played a pioneering role as the first Resident Advisor of the Nigeria Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), where he trained over 1,000 disease surveillance officers across 15 states. Since 2013, he has been actively involved in teaching and mentoring residents within the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, becoming Resident Advisor in 2017. Under his leadership, the program achieved TEPHINET accreditation in 2018, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public health workforce development.
With more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Balogun is a recognized authority in infectious disease epidemiology. He has presented at numerous local and international conferences and serves as a reviewer for reputable scientific journals. His technical expertise spans outbreak investigation and response, having led and supported responses to major public health emergencies including COVID-19, Lassa fever, cholera, and measles.
Dr. Balogun provides critical epidemiological support to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, where he also mentors staff on field epidemiology training and program operations. At AFENET, he leads multidisciplinary teams across key program areas, including Field Epidemiology Training, National Public Health Institute strengthening, Acute Febrile Illness Surveillance, wildlife surveillance (notably monkeypox), Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance, routine immunization, and the President’s Malaria Initiative.
A multilingual professional fluent in English, Hausa, and Yoruba, Dr. Balogun combines strong technical expertise with leadership in training and mentorship. His interests in reading, writing, and traveling complement a career dedicated to advancing public health systems and improving health outcomes across Africa.
