Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is proud to announce that Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, Coordinating Minister and Mrs. Ladidi K. Bako-Aiyegbusi, mni, Director of Nutrition, have both been named to the 2025 TIME100 Health list, a prestigious recognition of the 100 most influential individuals shaping the future of global health. This was contained in a statement signed by Alaba Balogun, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations.
The TIME100 Health list honours leaders, innovators, advocates, and change-makers whose work is transforming health systems, advancing medical science, and improving lives worldwide. The recognition of two Nigerians from the same institution underscores Nigeria’s rising influence in global health leadership.
Prof. Pate’s selection acknowledges his decades-long commitment to health equity, system reform, and primary healthcare advancement. Under his leadership and aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is undergoing a historic transformation in its health sector focused on improved governance, better health outcomes, unlocking healthcare value chains, and bolstering health security.
A cornerstone of this reform is the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, anchored by a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) that promotes strategic coordination among government institutions, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to ensure impactful and accountable investments.
Under Prof. Pate’s leadership and strategic priorities include:
Revitalising primary healthcare by strengthening frontline health facilities and expanding the community health workforce
Scaling up maternal, newborn, and child health services to reduce preventable mortality
Accelerating malaria elimination efforts, including the introduction of the malaria vaccine
Promoting local production of health commodities and strengthening the health workforce for national resilience.
Mrs. Ladidi K. Bako-Aiyegbusi, mni was honoured for her pioneering leadership in advancing national nutrition policy and driving systemic food and nutrition reforms. Her work has been instrumental in improving maternal and child nutrition outcomes and reducing malnutrition across vulnerable populations through multisectoral, evidence-based strategies.
She has led several high-impact initiatives, including:
The implementation of the National Nutrition Policy, targeting improved nutrition outcomes for all Nigerians
The rollout of the Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) programme, providing pregnant women with 15 essential vitamins and minerals to combat anaemia and support healthier pregnancies.
The expansion of large-scale food fortification programmes.
Advocacy for nutrition-sensitive, gender-responsive social protection policies to address the root causes of malnutrition.
The full TIME100 Health list and accompanying tributes appear in the
May 26, 2025, issue of TIME, available on newsstands from Friday, May 16, and online at time.com/time100health.
This dual recognition not only honours the individual achievements of Prof. Pate and Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi also celebrates Nigeria’s bold strides in health reform, nutrition policy, and global leadership in advancing public health.
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