Everest Okpara

Everest Okpara was born in Isiekenesi, in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, and was raised in a small household in which he helped with his mother's catering business. He attended Community Primary School, Dimagu, and National Secondary School Ntueke in his home area, before moving into business and healthcare entrepreneurship. Okpara earned a bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management at Lagos State University and later undertook coursework or short programmes in public-health related topics, including biostatistics and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. He also completed a Healthcare Management program at Lagos Business School and earned an MBA and a PhD from Charisma University, USA. == Career ==

Everest Okpara founded Everight Diagnostic & Laboratory Services Ltd in 2005; under his leadership the organisation expanded to operate diagnostic centres in Owerri, Lagos and Abuja and added molecular-testing capability during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Everight was listed among private laboratories contributing PCR testing in Nigeria and appears in multiple Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) situational reports as an active testing centre for inbound/outbound travellers and routine testing at different times in 2021–2022. The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) records show the laboratory's ISO15189 accreditation certificate for its Wuse 2 (Abuja) facility. In 2019 Okpara became the substantive president of the Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCCIMA); this appointment and his role in local organised private-sector bodies were reported in national and local business publications. == Recognition and Accreditation ==

• The Everight laboratory in Abuja is recorded as having achieved ISO 15189 accreditation (MLSCN/Assessment Documentation) and Everight Lab was among private laboratories approved or referenced in NCDC COVID-19 testing lists used during the pandemic response. • Everest Okpara received an award of appreciation from Gulf Medical University in the UAE on February 1, 2025. • He was invited to speak at the UK International Health Summit in Liverpool on February 14, 2025. == References ==