Nigerian-Born AI Professor Earns Global Recognition in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Says Africa should not remain only a consumer of AI systems developed elsewhere Oluchi Chibuzor Centre of Intelligence of Things (CIoTh), University of Greater Manchester, has announced the latest
Professor Celestine Iwendi, Head of the Centre of Intelligence of Things (CIoTh) at the University of Greater Manchester, has been globally recognized for his pioneering work in artificial intelligence (AI) within healthcare. The news of this honor follows his inclusion in the Scholarly Index Top1000 Scholar 2026 rankings for AI in Healthcare.
Iwendi's achievement is particularly significant as he expresses that Africa must not remain a passive consumer of AI systems but must invest in its own research infrastructure, young scholars, and innovation ecosystems.
The 2021–2025 impact window ranked Iwendi as the 57th globally in AI in Healthcare, the second in Britain, and within the Top 0.69 percent worldwide. For the lifetime impact window, he ranks 125th globally and 6th in Britain. His ranking certificate highlights an impressive impact score of 96.93, a Category D-index of 6, and an H-index of 36 for the 2021–2025 period. During the lifetime window, his impact score is 96.20, a Category D-index of 7, and an H-index of 46.
Iwendi's work spans AI applications in digital health, intelligent systems, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. He underscores the importance of sustained collaboration in research, emphasizing that his recognition is a testament to the collective effort of mentors, colleagues, and students. He remains focused on the practical impact of AI in healthcare, ensuring that innovation translates into better patient outcomes, stronger health systems, improved diagnostics, and safer technologies.
Iwendi views the recognition as evidence of the growing importance of research collaboration and the expanding profile of his work through CIoTh and the University of Greater Manchester.
Iwendi's perspective on AI in healthcare is rooted in the potential of the technology to transform healthcare delivery. He emphasizes the need for trustworthy, explainable AI systems designed with community needs in mind. For Nigeria and other developing economies, AI presents a unique opportunity to improve earlier diagnosis, disease prediction, hospital workflows, and access to specialist knowledge, particularly in addressing healthcare personnel shortages.
Iwendi advocates for responsible AI deployment, stressing the importance of ethical considerations, data protection, and human-centered design. He cautions against pursuing AI solely for novelty, insisting that the technology should serve humanity, particularly in reducing inequality and improving lives.
This latest recognition, earned through his role at CIoTh, adds to the growing list of international accolades for Iwendi's academic and research contributions. The Scholarly Index ranking further solidifies the University of Greater Manchester's standing in the global AI research community. Iwendi dedicates this recognition to the entire research community, emphasizing their shared achievement and commitment to producing rigorous, relevant research capable of making measurable differences.
The recognition comes under the Top1000 Scholar 2026 edition, encompassing both the 2021–2025 impact period and the researcher's lifetime scholarly impact.
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