President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday appointed Abdu Mukhtar as co-ordinator of the presidential Healthcare Value Chain.
Chronicle NG reports that Tinubu seeks a measurable increase in the domestic manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biologics, devices, and the quantity of quality jobs.
In a statement, Ajuri Ngelale, the president’s spokesperson, said Tinubu expects that Abdu Mukhtar will bring to bear his vast experience in healthcare delivery systems that can move from theory into reality.
The statement said, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Abdu Mukhtar to serve as the National Coordinator of the Presidential ‘Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain’ Initiative, which is domiciled under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
With this strategic approval, the government hopes to bring billions of dollars into the country’s healthcare system by working together across ministries to restructure the ecosystem of health product manufacturing, health logistics services, health technology services, health retail services (e-commerce), health provider facilitation, and health payer reform (third-party administrators and insurers). The goals are to:
“Measurable increase in the domestic manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biologics, and devices.
“Reduction of outbound medical tourism by enhancing service quality in Nigeria while catalysing alternative health ecosystems in-country.
“Measurable increase in quantity of quality jobs across the value chain through enhanced FDI and local capital mobilisation.
Dr. Mukhtar comes to the task as the immediate past Director of Industry and Trade Development at the African Development Bank (AfDB). Prior to joining the AfDB, Dr. Mukhtar served as the Group Chief Strategy Officer of the Dangote Group of Industries, where he played a key role in the conglomerate’s expansion of its cement production footprint into fourteen African countries, in addition to important joint ventures in the power, oil & gas, and agriculture sectors. This followed a four-year tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the FCTA’s Abuja Investment Company Limited from 2007 to 2011.
Dr. Mukhtar holds a Doctorate in Biotechnology from Boston University (USA); a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School (USA); a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; and a Medical Degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
In order for the enormous economic benefit that Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system represents to materialize from potential and theory into reality and practice in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration, the President anticipates that the National Coordinator of this new cross-ministerial initiative will utilize his extensive experience and academic qualifications in the efficient execution of this crucial national assignment.
