Nigerian-born Bolu Ogunyemi elected as the first black President of Canadian Medical Association

A Nigerian-born professor, Bolu Ogunyemi has been elected president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), becoming the first Black person to hold the position in the association’s 158-year history. 

Ogunyemi, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland and a dermatologist in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, won the election against Susan MacDonald.

As president, Ogunyemi will represent the CMA in engagements with the media, provincial and territorial medical associations, government bodies, and other partner organizations across Canada.

Ogunyemi previously served as the inaugural assistant dean of social accountability from 2020 to 2023 and is a member of the Labrador Medical Association Board of Directors. In 2024, he completed a fellowship in health services improvement at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health.

He will serve as CMA president-elect pending formal approval by the association’s general council in May 2025, at which point he will begin his one-year term as president.

Speaking after his election, Ogunyemi pledged to use his position to strengthen Canada’s healthcare system and advocate for healthier communities.

“My track record in medical leadership, spanning 15 years, has provided me with expertise on pressing issues facing our health care system today,” he said.

“As CMA president-elect, I will advocate for a unified and respected profession, a robust health care system, and healthier communities.”