President Bola Tinubu has been honored with the title of African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership. This recognition comes in acknowledgment of Tinubu’s commitment to training 120,000 frontline health workers across Nigeria within 16 months and doubling the number of primary health facilities in communities nationwide from 8,800 to over 17,000 within the next three years.
According to Punch, the announcement was conveyed in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President. Tinubu is expected to address participants at the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme scheduled for Saturday, February 17, 2024.
The African Union Commission, specifically the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), revealed the appointment in a letter to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The decision was made on the recommendation of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of Africa CDC, led by Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union.
Tinubu’s accomplishments, including doubling health personnel enrollment capacity and establishing a paid volunteer youth force for monitoring primary health centers, were highlighted in the statement. The African Union identified Tinubu as the right champion for this continental effort.
In his new role, Tinubu has been invited to address the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme under the theme, ‘Impactful leadership in health: a whole government approach.’ The event is slated to take place on February 17, 2024, at the Africa CDC Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the margins of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government.