This is the story of providence, focus, adventure, and perseverance. It presents an interesting picture of a man, who though studied medicine against his wish, found fame, fortune, and prominence through the opportunities being a doctor offers. From just being a young doctor, who drove Kabukabu in Lagos to augument his earnings, Dr. Iyke Odikpo, Founder of First City Diagonistic, made the choices he believed  in which earned him prominence in business and politics among others. Indeed, his story is a testimony to the axiom that one is actually the product of the choices he makes.

Odikpo

ON background: I was born into a family of teachers. My father, Michael Azuka Odikpo was a school Principal. My mother, Angelina Odikpo retired as a Head Mistress. My mother was very strict. She was one person that helped to curtail my excesses in life. I was quite heady when I was young because I knew what I wanted in life.

If anybody wanted me to do anything, the person had to negotiate with me. If the person tried bullying me, that created problems. My parents made me what I am today. I took my father’s kindness and calmness.

My father was equally was not an easy person to be with if you were on the wrong side of issues. Having come from such a background one has to be reflective of the society we find ourselves. As a Principal at that time my father was regarded as a big man. But as things were changing in Nigeria then, I felt that one needed to do more in life.

On medicine: My studying medicine was because of my father because I wanted to be an economist.  I had an uncle, the late Dr. Nwani, who had a Ph.D. in Economics. As a young boy, I loved Economics and did well in it. And my understanding then was that the world was all about economics.

I had an Irish teacher who thought us Economics but on the eve to the closure of JAMB registration(we were the second set that took JAMB) my father came to my school to see my school principal. When I got to the Principal’s office my father said that I should change my choice of Economics to Medicine.

I had to sign a new set of forms, thereby changing my course to medicine.  I was very angry about that and said I was not doing the exams again. But the fact that I did not want to fail an exam made me start reading for medicine a night to the examination. I eventually sat for the examination and made good results. If I did not have the capacity and tenacity, it would not have been easy to have the kind of grades needed to study Medicine.  Studying Medicine was not easy but it was fun and exciting.

Till tomorrow, it gladdens my heart to introduce myself as a medical doctor. Some people sometimes think I no longer practice because I have veered into politics and other businesses, but I am still in practice. I veered into politics because if good people stay out of politics, bad people will be in charge of the affairs of the society. That is why people like me are in politics to see how best we can influence the affairs of the society.

I have learnt to understand that arguing with government is difficult because government is a big masquerade. For instance, fighting with a governor will be so difficult because he controls the instrument of governance. It is a lot easier to do that when you are in government.   Of course, it may not be easy for young doctors initially but if someone remains focused, the person will excel.

On experiences:From my childhood, I knew I had to do a profession that I will apply my skills.   Growing up in the area where I found myself, doctors were next to God.  It gives me joy that we make what people consider a big issue to be a non-issue after listening to patients.

Creating a  niche for myself: Creating a little niche for myself is a product of perseverance, hard work and focus because it was not easy when I got into Lagos. As a young doctor, I moved into the large Lagos market where I worked in a few places before I met Dr. Finnih, who I worked for before I set up my own hospital. Being given the right advice helped a lot because Lagos was a huge and established market for a young boy, who was trying to survive to just make it easily.

I was trying to survive then and support my siblings. It was just God, doing the right things, working hard and getting the right advice. The combination of these helped me to become established in Lagos. I had a place I worked and also did consulting in three places.

Memorable incident

I remember an incident that happened at a local hospital where I was also working that remains fresh in my mind.  There was a night they called me to attend to a woman, who had a burst abdomen. She had a caesarean section but she did not have the right antibiotics and her womb broke down. They called me to see the patient. I looked at her and found out that she was unconscious. She appeared dead.  I told them that if I referred the woman to the General Hospital she may not survive before the processes of admitting her would be concluded. It was at a place called Ikotun Egbe. I took a risk but I told them I was not promising them anything. I did a surgery with the assistance of an auxiliary nurse. At the time I was stitching she started moving her legs. Unfortunately, they did not have money to pay me by the time I finished the job. I was very angry as a young man. Sometimes when things work out for me, I felt that some of those things I did in the past were being repaid.

They offered me family land but I was stupid and refused to take it. I wish I had taken it. Out of anger I did not even follow up with the patient but she recovered but I told the husband that she will not be able to have a child again because the womb was removed.

After telling my former boss, Dr. Finnih, he was marveled. Another person, who helped me in becoming successful, was my late friend, Ifeanyi Nwoke. I used to write proposals then about how I will set up my hospital and I was looking for money that I will use in starting.  He advised me to look for an estate to set up my hospital.

He said that every estate has settlements of company workers. That was how I rented a duplex in Gowon Estate where I started with small savings. My siblings and I were the carpenters and bricklayers, who worked on the new place.  My boss assisted me with the first set of furniture for the hospital and even said that it was better that I was starting my own, stating that the way things were in Nigeria at that time showed that it will be difficult for things to get better.

Initially, when I said I was going, my boss thought it was because of my salary and he increased it to N35, 000 from N15,000.   At Gowon Estate, National Shipping Line which was big then was my first major client. There were three hospitals managing them then but I was able to get retainership from them at the age of 27.

Right advice, right positioning and perseverance

I named my first hospital Iykeland.  We grew from there and became more adventurous by moving to Victoria Island. I remember a certain Yoruba woman asking about my background and who my father was when I moved to the Island. She was surprised that I could own a hospital in Victoria Island at that time. The right advice, right positioning, and perseverance made it possible.

There were times when there were low moments but the successes kept coming. By the time I got to Victoria Island, I felt that the name, Iykeland was not catchy enough. I had to register First City Hospital as a new name. There was a scenario that influenced my story when I started getting retainerships from companies and interfacing with influential people, I became distracted because of the desire to make money and get contracts. I had to change the name of my hospital to First City Diagnosis because I met an elderly man, whose hospital was also known as First City Hospital.  That is the story of First City Diagnosis that has given birth to so many success stories. Having made some money I started philantropism in my village. I have been partaking in the development of my village. I started playing politics during the SDP/NRC era and got to the level of state delegate in NRC. In 2003, I left the PDP to run for the Senate on the platform of UNCP. So, I moved from being a doctor to a businessman and politician. But all these were made possible by God because there were some, who had such dreams but could not make it as a result of natural processes like death. But when someone gets to a particular stage in life, he needs the favour of God.

Your story sounds very smooth, weren’t there challenges on your path?

It was not that there were no challenges but sometimes when telling your story, you need to leave out some negative aspects and focus on the positive sides. For me, I prefer to remember the good things and remain positive in life. But there were also low moments but I am a dogged person who perseveres a lot. I don’t give up when I am on a course. I always believe that if people had done something and succeeded, Iyke could do it. Anybody listening to it will think that it was just a smooth story but as a young doctor, I had to drive cabs to argument my earnings. At that time a cousin of mine inherited a Peugeot Station Wagon from his father and we used to make some money with the car. He had accommodation issue and stayed with me. He added value with his car. I remember while doing the commercial transport, an old school mate saw me asked was like ‘’Iyke what happened?’’ I said nothing happened that I only needed money. Those were not good times. My father as also had a rough experience that robed off on us because of what he believed in. At the time of NPN and UPN politics, he stuck to his gun over something he felt was not ideal for a civil servant to get involved in. And that earned him the retirement he did not bargain for. That was another incident that made me to start thinking that I needed to support him so that he would not die. Another person who influenced my thinking was Ebenezer Babatope, who I met as a final year medical student.  It was when politicians were imprisoned and he was kept at Jos Teaching Hospital. He said from the way I behave and think, it was better I work for myself instead of working for someone. Another person is the present chairman of All Progressives Party,APC, Chief John Oyegun. When I was pursuing a Commonwealth Scholarship as a young doctor, he advised that I should rather focus on making money, adding that I was already a doctor. He said I will get to a certain level and would no longer look for money. He had a fishing business and we were made distributors.  People should try to get good mentors, whose success stories are not questionable.