President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of the new Director-General/CEO of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr. Olajide Idris.
Alongside this, Dr. Mansur Kabir has been re-appointed as the new Board Chairperson at the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), while Prof. Moji Adeyeye continues in her role as Chief Executive Officer.
The appointment of Dr. Olajide Idris to lead the NCDC emphasizes President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s disease control efforts. Dr. Idris, a seasoned medical professional, brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State from 2007 to 2019.
This announcement was made public by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement released from Abuja on Thursday.
The overhaul encompasses the appointment and reappointment of Board Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers across various institutions.
Similarly, Prof. Abba Zubairu assumes the role of Board Chairperson at the National Blood Service Commission (NBSC), with Dr. Saleh Yuguda appointed as Chief Executive Officer.
Additionally, Prof. Afolabi Lesi has been appointed as Board Chairperson of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), with Dr. Fatima Kyari named as Chief Executive Officer.
Other appointments include Wasilat Giwa as Board Chairperson of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and Ibrahim Ahmed as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Babajide Salako and Dr. Tosan Erhabor have been appointed as Board Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer respectively at the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN).
Further changes include Prof. Adamu G. Bakari’s appointment as Chief Medical Director/CEO at the Moddibo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola (MAUTH), and Prof. Reuben Eifediyi’s appointment to the same role at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua (ISTH).
Tinubu stressed that these changes signify his commitment to elevating Nigeria’s public health administration to global standards.
He reiterated his dedication to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to all citizens within a governance and regulatory framework aligned with international best practices.
The new NBSC Chairperson, Prof. Abba Zubairu, PhD, has served as the Medical Director of the world-leading Mayo Clinic in the United States of America.
This followed a long career in which he served as a Resident Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Hospital as a Post-Doctoral Fellow and undertook a Clinical Fellowship at the Harvard Medical School’s Transfusion Medicine Programme during which he obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Science at the same institution.
The new MDCN CEO, Dr Fatima Kyari, PhD, is a renowned ophthalmologist and Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Medicine (FNAMed).
She obtained an MBBS degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine before she obtained a Doctorate in Public Health from the same institution.
The President expected that the new leadership across this critical human development sector would raise the standards of healthcare service delivery for the exclusive benefit of all strata of the Nigerian population.
He said his administration was committed to implementing a whole-of-government approach to transforming the sector to enhance the aggregate national quality of life and productivity.
The President also anticipated the immediate and effective implementation of new policy frameworks to reposition the sector under the able leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate.
