Ike Anya
Comment: Did you use AI in drafting this article at all? Bobby Cohn 🍁 (talk) 17:32, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
Ike Anya is a Nigerian public health physician, consultant, and author. He is best known for his 2023 medical memoir, Small by Small: Becoming a Doctor in 1990s Nigeria.[1], which documents his medical training against the backdrop of Nigeria's turbulent political history under military rule. Published originally in hardback by Sandstone Press[2] which went into liquidation, it was then acquired and released in paperback and e-book by Canongate Books with the title Small by Small: One Nigerian Doctor's Story[3] in August 2024. Alongside his medical career in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, Anya has co-founded several health advocacy and cultural organisations, including Nigeria Health Watch [4]and TEDxEuston[5].
Early life and education
Anya grew up in Nsukka, Nigeria, where his family lived next door to the renowned novelist Chinua Achebe. An avid reader from an early age, he served as the editor of the student magazine The Mermaid while attending King's College, Lagos[6].
He pursued his medical education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduating with his medical degree (MBBS) in 1995. He later moved to the United Kingdom to continue his training, earning a Master of Science from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)[7]. Driven by a lifelong interest in writing, he also completed a Master of Arts in Creative Non-Fiction from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2017[8].
Medical career
Anya works as a consultant in public health medicine across both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. In London, he held senior management positions in public health, including serving as the Deputy Director of Public Health for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Anya worked as a locum consultant for Public Health Scotland, leading health protection teams and managing outbreak responses.
In addition to his clinical and administrative roles, Anya is an active academic. He has served as an honorary lecturer in public health at Imperial College London, an honorary Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Bristol, and a visiting lecturer at LSHTM.[9] He is also on the faculty of the Health Leadership Academy[10]
Writing and literary career
In May 2023, Anya released his debut memoir, Small by Small: Becoming a Doctor in 1990s Nigeria (published by Sandstone Press and later distributed by Canongate Books). The title is drawn from a phrase his grandmother used to reassure him: "Everything worthwhile is achieved small by small." The memoir details the gruelling conditions, triumphs, and failures of his medical student days and his house officer year during the oppressive military dictatorship of Sani Abacha. The book received critical acclaim for providing a rare, humorous, and deeply human window into ordinary Nigerian life and healthcare during an era of severe political turmoil.
Anya's shorter creative work and essays have appeared in major literary magazines and anthologies, including Granta,The Guardian, HuffPost, Catapult. Of note are his 2012 Granta essay People Don't Get Depressed in Nigeria[11] and A Banner Without Stain in the Borough Press commissioned anthology of Nigerian writing Of This Our Country[12]. He is also the co-editor of The Weaverbird Collection of New Nigerian Writing[13]
Advocacy and foundations
Anya has leveraged his public health and cultural background to co-found several prominent organisations:
- Nigeria Health Watch: A health advocacy and communication platform focusing on Nigerian health policy and reform.
- EpiAfric: A West African public health research, training, and consultancy firm.
- TEDxEuston[14]: An annual TEDx conference based in London dedicated to sharing African ideas and stories.
- Abuja Literary Society: A community space founded in 1998 to promote creative writing and literature in Nigeria's capital. In 2018, it played host to the Duchess of Cornwall when she visited Nigeria[15]
Anya was selected as a TED Global Fellow in 2007. He has also served on several boards, including Knightstone Housing Association, North Bristol NHS Trust and as Independent Member of the Standards Committee for the Royal Boropugh of Kensington and Chelsea. He was appointed by the Secretary of State for health as a Board Member on the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board in 2006as an advisory council member for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing and has frequently contributed to the BBC World Service health podcasts, Health Check and Unexpected Elements.
References
- ↑ Anya, Ike (2023). Small by Small: Becoming A Doctor in 1990s Nigeria (Hardback ed.). London: Sandstone Press (published 18 May 2023). ISBN 9781914518096. Search this book on
- ↑ Comerford, Ruth (April 22 2022). "Sandstone scoops doctor's 'vivid' memoir of medicine in Nigeria". The Bookseller. Retrieved 13th July 2026. Check date values in:
|access-date=, |date=(help) - ↑ Anya, Ike (1 August 2024). Small by Small: A Nigerian Doctor's Story (2nd ed.). London: Canongate Books. ISBN 9781837262397. Search this book on
- ↑ "Book launch: 'Small by small' by Ike Anya". Royal African Society. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Ike Anya,Special to CNN (2012-11-30). "TEDx spotlights inspiring African ideas | CNN". CNN. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ “From Medicine to Memoir: How Dr Ike Anya Rekindled His Love for Writing”. Retrieved 2026-07-14 – via www.youtube.com.
- ↑ Onwuneme, Gloria (2018-07-23). "Q&A with Dr. Ike Anya, Writer and Public Health Consultant". Student Doctor Network Review. 12 (7): 20. ISSN 3069-1745.
- ↑ "UEA Creative Writing and a medical memoir". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ "Alumni Profile: Ike Anya | LSHTM". www.lshtm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ "Announcing Ike Anya - HLA Faculty Member". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ "Ike Anya". Granta. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Agbaje, Ore (6 December 2022). Of This Our Country. Borough Press. ISBN 9780008469306. Search this book on
- ↑ "Weaverbird". Goodreads. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ "TEDx Euston". VC4A. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ "The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visit Nigeria". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
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