Beyond Fixing Bones, I Wanted To Fix Broken Systems, Says Menakaya

Dr Chichi Menakaya is the CEO of UK-based Annomo Health Concierge. In this interview with the global surgeon championing Africa’s wellness future, the medical doctor speaks to Fadekemi Ajakaiye on her foray into Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, the hopes for Africa, challenges and her plans to build a global health ecosystem. Excepts.

Dr. Menakaya, you have become a force across surgery, entrepreneurship, and global health strategy. What was young Chichi like, and what led you to medicine?
As a child, I was special. I was bold and at the same time shy, but the world only saw the curious, outspoken, and sometimes too brave for my own good. I had the grace and blessing; and I call it blessing to be born by an extremely powerful and kind woman, with the genes of a larger-than-life father who breathed, spoke, and lived medicine. However, despite my luck, as my mum would say, I also witnessed things that planted a seed very early, how illness could change a whole family’s trajectory, how medical systems failed those who needed them most. I didn’t want to just help people feel better. I wanted to change the system that decided who gets better. That is how I found my way into trauma and orthopaedic surgery, which is one of the toughest, least diverse fields in medicine, especially for a woman.

Your name often comes up when people speak of Black excellence in medicine — especially in surgical circles. What inspired this surgical journey?
I always say I didn’t choose medicine; it chose me. As a Nigerian girl raised between cultures, I saw how the accident of your postcode or should I say continent could determine your life expectancy. I wanted to change that. So I entered a field not many who look like me dared to enter. That is Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery, where only a handful of Black female surgeons exist globally. I didn’t just want to succeed. I wanted to redefine the spaces we walk into.

How was that journey. Were there moments when you almost gave up?
Yes. Many. I was often the only Black woman in the room. Sometimes, I am made to feel like I didn’t belong. I have had my competence questioned, my voice silenced, my dreams delayed. I remember once being told I was “foreign” for a surgical career. Can I make you wonder; till date, despite heights achieved, I still continue to be doubted, undermined, and made to feel that I do not belong on the table. I laugh a lot because no one survives trauma theatre by being incompetent. So I focused on the people that truly matter-my patients. What I lacked in acceptance, I replaced with excellence. Every “no” became fuel. I love the word “no.” It helps me aspire for more.

How did you stay grounded through all of that. What kept you going?
My mother’s voice in my head constantly reminding me of whose daughter I was. Faith. Community spirit — that I couldn’t let my tribe down. And a very stubborn belief that I was born for more. I stopped asking for permission and started creating my own tables. That mindset helped me launch Annomo Health. I launched it not just as a company, but as a promise: that world-class healthcare can be built by us, for us, without compromise.

Let’s talk about Annomo Health — you are now listed in Tatler’s Address Book and serve clients across the UK, US, UAE, Europe and Africa. How did you go from NHS doctor to global concierge CEO?
By listening. My patients, friends, relatives weren’t just asking for treatment, they were crying out for trust, for discretion, for holistic care, and for the very best. A relative close to me was treated less than was expected despite him paying out of pocket. So I sat down, re-examined private healthcare, asked how the royal family choose their doctors, and said — it’s time to bring the best of the best to everyone who leaves their home to seek health outside their comfort zone. Executives, diplomats, celebrities, you and I — they all wanted the same thing: confidence that their health needs would be met without chaos, queues, or compromise — and more importantly, that they had access to the best and latest treatment protocols. So I built a bridge between clinical excellence and lifestyle intelligence. Annomo became that bridge.

You have done surgeries around the world, spoken at Forbes Middle East, and advised health leaders. Yet you have remained deeply committed to Africa. Why?
Because Africa is the origin of brilliance but we have let the world write our health narrative for too long. I want to flip that script. My dream is to see a Lagos where elite medicine is not outsourced but led from the continent and supported by the rest of the world. A Kenya where regenerative medicine is not imported but innovated at home. A South Africa where health isn’t just about survival but performance, longevity, and joy. It is time to build a global health ecosystem.

Interesting, please expand on that?
Nigeria, nay Africa is my heart. How can it not be? It gave me the resilience, the drive, and the wings to fly even when I felt broken. I knew that my ultimate goal was to learn and then bring the best home. I want to unite healthcare into a global village. I want people to see that health is an infrastructure for every part of our lives. I have operated in world-class theatres. I have walked the halls of top hospitals. But nothing gives me more joy than walking into a room full of not just African health leaders, but world leaders saying, “Let’s build our own future.” We have brilliance here — what we need is belief and infrastructure. So this year, in the very dynamic, bubbling city that does not sleep, we will rewrite the future of healthcare. We will be bringing the best minds and launch The Exclusive Health Circle Summit. It’s not just a conference. It’s a statement — that Africa can lead the global longevity conversation. That health is the new wealth. And that the future of wellness is being designed here by us, for us with the help of our global friends.

Tell us about the Summit. Why now and Why Lagos?
Because Africa is ready. The Exclusive Health Circle Summit is not a typical event. It’s a curated invitation-only gathering of global doctors, innovators, and investors committed to one idea: health as the new wealth. It will be a congregation of carefully selected pan-African leaders of industry, and we will be exploring the secrets of timeless health, from regenerative therapies and elite fitness, to longevity tech and spiritual alignment. But we are also asking big questions: What does it mean for an African to live well, long, and fulfilled? Lagos deserves to lead that conversation. Lagos has always led, not just in Africa but in the world. This time, we want to bring the world to Lagos.

What challenges did you face trying to bring this vision to life?
Plenty. Do you have all day? Building anything cross-border is complex — the logistics, the trust, ensuring we choose the right partners, curating the idea, and actually selecting who needs to join such a conversation. It is not a free-for-all — it is a movement. For the first time, it’s not just about speaking, congregating, or taking photos, it is about action. We recorded a huge success in 2024 with over 400 guests in multiple meet-and-greets who kickstarted the conversation, and the UK’s largest private hospital — The London Clinic, known for treating not just King Charles and Princess Catherine during their battle with cancer — held our hand and extended their expertise to Nigeria and Africa at large. Yet, the hardest part of this movement remains shifting mindsets. People are used to seeing Africa as the receiver of innovation and not the source. I had to fight to prove we could host a summit that rivals Davos or Aspen. But we’re doing it. And the world is watching.

You said you had to fight?
Yes, and I fought gallantly — with my shoulders held high. I was speaking to one of the world’s top hospitals about joining the conversation, and they kept saying, “Nigeria is unsafe, bring it to London, we will solely sponsor it. Why not the Middle East?” I laughed and said, “But you are happy to receive billions of dollars from Africa when we seek premium health at those moments, the money isn’t unsafe?”. It is time we ask people to put their work where they feed from. We need them to come and ask us, “What do you want? How do we work together?” That is why this summit is about the citizens who can help build an ecosystem. It is not just about doctors or hospitals, but about you — who, despite your private jet, may not survive a six-hour flight to London. It is time we start investing wisely because health is the only true investment that serves everything else.

You mentioned “health as wealth.” Can you explain that more?
We often say “health is wealth” as a cliché — but I mean it literally. You cannot build wealth without health. Investors are now asking: how do we future-proof our bodies? How do we live longer and better? That’s why the summit matters. It’s not just for doctors, it is for real estate leaders, artists, policy makers, wellness brands. Health is the infrastructure of everything.

For someone reading this and thinking, “I want to be in that room” — what’s your answer?
Despite the door currently being closed to a select few who are invited based on their commitment to build and their drive to bring the best home, I want to say that we will be creating a limited open door. But only to those who understand that this is not a health talk. It’s a movement. If you believe that Africa can lead the global health and wellness economy — we want to hear from you. If you are building, investing, or dreaming in health, longevity, luxury, or tech, the Summit is your space. And yes, we have left a few seats for those who dare to imagine more.

That is amazing. What should people expect from this summit?
Expect the unexpected. We are bringing together global doctors, investors, wellness innovators, biohackers, and cultural icons to decode “The Secrets of Timeless Health.” Think: health as a global currency of investment, peak performance, diagnostic excellence, and the economics of health, all in one room. It is strictly by invitation, but for those who believe health should be an investment class, it is the room to be in. Let’s just say that we are only just beginning.

Final words to women, especially African women who want to rewrite their story?
You don’t have to fit the mould. You are the mould. I’ve been the girl who was told, “No one will take you seriously.” I have been told, “You don’t belong. You are foreign. You will fail.” I’ve been told, “You belong in the kitchen — with your fancy clothes and shoes.” And yes, I love some fancy things. Now I sit across global boardrooms, summits, and conversations because I made that “no” mean next opportunity. Don’t wait for permission. You are the permission. You carry generations of strength, of sacrifice, of failures, and of silent triumphs. Build your legacy loud. And when the doors don’t open — carve a new entrance. I didn’t just want to fix broken bones. I wanted to fix broken systems. And today, I stand not as a finished product, but as a living testament: that your scars can be your strategy. You don’t need to roar to be powerful. Sometimes, you just need to walk in your truth, fully. This is your time. Our time. And Africa is listening.