Chima Ariel Onoka is a community physician and health systems economist. He has a Master of Science degree in Health Policy Planning and Financing from the University of London (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and London School of Economics and Political Science) and a PhD in health systems economics from the University of London. He also has MPH degree from the University of Nigeria, Enugu, and is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians (Community Medicine) where he also serves as examiner.

He is a Professor in the health systems, policy and management unit of the Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria and a Consultant Public Health Physician with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. As a community physician, he also specially focuses on the policy and management systems for provision and delivery of various disease control programmes and health interventions.

He has served as consultant to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (health financing unit), Federal Ministry of Health (department of planning, research and statistics), PATHS2 (Abt Associates) and Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON). He has also served as principal investigator for studies funded by the Wellcome Trust UK (Economics of IPTp for malaria Coverage), and the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (Analysing Efforts towards Universal Coverage Reforms in Nigeria).

Professor Chima is a Christian of great integrity and a man of enviable simplicity. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Christian Medical & Dental Association of Nigeria.