A Nigerian medical doctor, Dr Festus Oluseye Babarinde, has won the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award in the United States for his years of volunteer service and commitment to improving healthcare access for underserved communities.
Babarinde received the honour at the 44th Annual Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Ceremony held at the Chevy Chase Auditorium of Johns Hopkins Hospital, East Baltimore, where individuals whose work reflects the ideals of service, equity and social justice were celebrated.
He was recognised alongside professors and senior research fellows from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in acknowledgment of his contributions to community health and human capacity development in Nigeria and the United States.
Currently an intern at the Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Centre and a Master of Public Health candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Babarinde’s recognition was attributed to years of public service that began long before his relocation to the US.
His community work in Nigeria included volunteering as a camp doctor, contributing to the rehabilitation of the Igboore Primary Health Centre in Abeokuta and promoting access to basic healthcare in rural communities.
He also founded The Concept Academy, an initiative that provides mentorship and tutoring, including free support, for Nigerian doctors preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Examination.
A graduate of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ibadan, Babarinde hails from Okeho in Oyo State and is a recipient of the NYSC Presidential Award for the 2019/2020 service year for his outstanding community impact.
Organisers of the MLK commemoration described his work as a reflection of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy, noting that his achievement highlights the growing global influence of Nigerian-trained medical professionals.
