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Dr Benjamin Ajibade

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Dr Benjamin Olusola Ajibade

Assistant Professor in Mental Health Nursing · Northumbria University

ben@ajibadeacademichub.co.uk

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Senior Fellow of the HEA with nearly four decades across nursing and higher education. Pioneer of LEGO® Serious Play in nursing education and a leading voice in decolonising higher education and advancing equity.

39
Years in nursing & academia
40+
Peer-reviewed publications
£2.7M+
Research funding
250+
Students supervised
SFHEA
Senior Fellow, HEA
5+
Universities examined for

Credentials

  • Doctor of Nursing (DNur) — University of Sunderland
  • Honorary Professor — SEETA University, Uganda
  • Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
  • Registered Nurse — Mental Health (NMC, UK)
  • Registered Nurse — Psychiatry (Singapore Nursing Board)
  • Teacher status (NMC, UK)
  • Research Lead — Nursing Image and Standards Support Initiative of Nigeria (NISSIN), Nurses House, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
  • Editorial Board — Journal of Further and Higher Education

Core expertise

  • Curriculum Design & Programme Leadership
  • LEGO® Serious Play Facilitation & Training
  • Research Supervision & PGR Mentoring
  • EDI & Anti-Racism Consulting

Selected publications

  • Challenges to the career progression of racially minoritised academics in UK higher education: exploring institutional and social barriers — Human Resource Development International (2026)
  • The Integration and Impact of International General Nurses in Community Mental Health Teams: A Thematic Analysis — British Journal of Mental Health Nursing (2026)
  • Addressing the Racialised Awarding Gap in Higher Education: Insights from Personal Tutors — British Educational Research Journal (2026)
  • Factors that influence suicide behaviours and tendencies amongst university undergraduates in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analysis — Journal of Mental Health (2026)
  • Decolonising the Sciences: Enhancing the Experience of Staff and Students from Racially Minoritised Ethnic Groups Using LEGO® Serious Play® — Equity in Education & Society (2026)
  • Decolonising Mental Health Nursing Education: Why It Matters and Where to Start — British Journal of Mental Health Nursing (2026)

Funding highlights

  • £2.5M — Enhancing minority ethnic groups in postgraduate research (Office for Students (OfS), 2021)
  • £151,242 — Health & social care for older South Asian communities: access and care needs (NIHR, 2024)
  • Funded — Co-producing a prototype framework for inclusive care for Black older adults in English care homes (NIHR, 2026)

Recognition

  • Student-Led Teaching Award — Northumbria University (2024)
  • Student-Led Teaching Award — Northumbria University (2023)
  • Amazing Teacher’s Award — University of Sunderland (2015)