Sylvanus Adetokunboh Ayeni was born and raised in Nigeria. He graduated from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria in 1972. He did two years of general surgery training at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York from July 1976 to June 1978. Thereafter, his Residency training in neurosurgery was done at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals, Madison, Wisconsin from July 1978 to June 1983.
From May 1992 to February 1993, he was a Research Fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka Japan, following a short term fellowship in Fulda, Germany.
As a neurosurgeon, he worked in the private sector, as a civilian neurosurgeon for the US Navy (July 1985 to June 1988) and also in Academia. His last academic position was on the faculty at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha Nebraska.
He is president and founder of Pan Africa Children Advocacy Watch, (PACAW) Inc., a non-profit organization involved in education of children in Sub-Saharan Africa. www.pacaw.org
He is the author of the non-fiction book: RESCUE THYSELF: Change In Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come From Within; Hamilton Books — Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
He has been involved in development issues in Sub-Saharan Africa in the education and healthcare sectors for many years. He has participated in medical missions to countries in Africa and has been visiting faculty as a neurosurgeon. He has been a guest speaker at meetings of national and international associations.