KEY POINTS

• BRAIN Ilorin hosted Nigeria’s first student-led neurosurgery conference.
• Over 2,000 participants discussed brain health challenges and innovation.
• Students unveiled new tools and initiatives for brain health.

About 2,000 medical students and health professionals from across the globe gathered at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) for the maiden Mission: BRAIN Ilorin Conference, a two-day event that put brain health and neurosurgery challenges in underserved communities on center stage.

Organised by Mission: BRAIN Ilorin, a student body at UNILORIN, the meeting became the first student-led neurosurgery conference in Nigeria, drawing support from the Nigerian Academy of Neurological Surgeons (NANS), the Neuroscience Society of Nigeria (NSNS) and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

Brain health challenges take center stage

The event, themed Bridging Gaps: Advancing Brain Health Through Science, Ethics and Innovation, featured keynote speeches, clinical skills labs, research presentations and competitions. More than 100 participants took part in a pre-conference training on basic life support, CPR, airway management and emergency care for traumatic brain injury.

Prof. Femi Bankole, consultant neurosurgeon at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, warned of the dangers of relying on AI diagnostic models built with Western datasets. He also stressed the need for African data and ethical standards to prevent misdiagnoses and to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration.

Students driving brain health innovation

Mission: BRAIN Ilorin president Mubarak Mustapha, a 400-level medical student, said the gathering reflected the group’s commitment to strengthening brain health in Nigeria.

The chapter was formed in 2023 and has since conducted efforts to raise awareness about epilepsy, training on how to manage seizures, and the CranioGuard Mission to avoid injuries.

The organization has received international recognition, including accolades from the parent Mission:Brain Foundation for Service and Compassion, Academic Leadership, and Healing Hands.

Innovation unveiled for neurosurgery training

A highlight of the conference was the unveiling of the Global Surgery Box NG, a low-cost training toolkit developed by the UNILORIN Cardiothoracic Surgery Interest Group for suturing in resource-limited environments.

The event also launched the Ilorin NeuroJournal, featuring submissions from 10 countries across five continents. Finally prizes went to winners of abstract presentations, an essay competition for secondary school students, and the Neurovation Challenge, which tested student-led solutions for neurological healthcare gaps.