President Bola Tinubu has made significant changes to the leadership of key health and social welfare agencies, appointing Dr. Mansur Kabir as the new Chairman of the board of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and reappointing Prof. Moji Adeyeye as its Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, Dr. Olajide Idris has been appointed as the new Director-General for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), succeeding Prof. Ifedayo Adetifa.
The announcement of these appointments was made by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu approves leadership changes in health and social welfare sector.’
In line with Tinubu’s commitment to enhancing public health administration standards, the President also approved the appointment and reappointment of board chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers for eight agencies under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Notable appointments include Prof. Abba Zubairu and Dr. Saleh Yuguda for the National Blood Service Commission, Prof. Afolabi Lesi and Dr. Fatima Kyari for the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Wasilat Giwa and Ibrahim Ahmed for the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, and Dr. Babajide Salako and Dr. Tosan Erhabor for the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.
The President further appointed Prof. Adamu Bakari as the Chief Medical Director of Moddibo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State, and Prof. Reuben Eifediyi as CMD of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State.
Ngelale emphasized that these appointments reflect the President’s dedication to delivering affordable and quality healthcare to all Nigerians while adhering to international best practices in governance and regulatory frameworks.
Dr. Olajide Idris, the newly appointed NCDC Chief, holds an MBBS degree from the University of Lagos’ College of Medicine and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Yale University in the United States. His extensive experience includes serving as the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State from 2007 to 2019.
The President expects the new leadership to substantially elevate healthcare service delivery standards for the benefit of all segments of the Nigerian population, emphasizing the immediate and effective implementation of new policy frameworks under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Pate, to address historical underperformance in the health sector.
