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Nigerian Ex- Minister, Pate gets World Bank, Harvard University appointments
The Nigerian former Minister of State for Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, has received two appointments from the World Bank Group and the public health graduate school of Harvard University: Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
Dr. Pate was appointed earlier this May by the World Bank Group as the Global Director of Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) and Director, Global Financing Facility (GFF), in Washington DC. At about the same time, he was also appointed by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health as Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership in the Department of Global Health and Population.
Both appointments are effective from July 1, 2019. However, the Harvard T. H. Chan School said Dr. Pate will be on leave while he serves as the Global Director for HNP and GFF.
In his new position with the World Bank Group, Ali Pate will lead, develop and communicate the vision and strategic direction of the HNP and the GFF, as well as the linkages to the Human Capital Project; ensure that global priorities are effectively integrated into country programmes; oversee the delivery of high-quality global engagements; and work closely with the HNP practice affiliated regional directors. He will effectively oversee strategic staffing and talent management for staff in the HNP practice and the GFF to deploy and create knowledge and solutions.
Established in 2015, the GFF’s goal is to end preventable maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent deaths and improve the health and quality of life of women, children, and adolescents. The GFF is a new model of development financing for the sustainable development goals (SDGs) that helps governments to prioritize critical health and nutrition areas and brings together multiple financing sources to close the funding gap for reproductive, maternal newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH-N) by 2030.
The GFF monetary arm, which is the GFF Trust Fund, provides part of the financing countries need for their investment in RMNCAH-N and it is linked to funding from the International Development Association (IDA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). In 2018, donors, including the Gates Foundation, the European Commission, Norway, Japan, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, pledged over $1 billion for the GFF.
According to the World Bank, Dr. Pate was selected to the position through the Bank-wide competitive managerial selection process. He had previously worked with the World Bank: he joined the Bank as a young professional in 2000 and worked on health issues such HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in several regions including Africa and the East Asia and Pacific.
Until recently, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Big Win Philanthropy — a UK-based organisation that invests in children and young adults in developing countries – to improve their living standard and maximise demographic dividends for economic growth.
Prior to Ali Pate’s appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health in 2011, he had successfully served as the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). In 2013, he resigned as the Minister of State for Health to join the Duke University’s Global Health Institute, where he served as a visiting professor and taught comparative health systems to postgraduate students.
At NPHCDA, Dr. Pate introduced various reforms that dramatically increased immunisation coverage in Northern Nigeria. In two years, incidences of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) fell to only 11 cases from a staggering figure of 803 in the country. He also led the reform that increased the pool of skilled birth attendants and improved delivery of services, helping to reduce high maternal and child mortality and morbidity.
Ali Pate studied at the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. He obtained his Master of Science in health systems management from the London School of Hygiene and Tropic Medicine, and his Master of Business Administration with a Certificate in Health Sector Management from Duke University.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at a brief ceremony in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, announced that the payment would commence immediately.
She lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the welfare of workers despite the state’s limited resources.
“This development demonstrates the governor’s commitment to improving the livelihood of our workers,” Dr. Olomojobi stated, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the administration to ensure prompt implementation.
In their remarks, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Olatunde Kolapo, expressed their appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for fulfilling his promises to workers.
They confirmed that the new minimum wage would apply to all cadres, including employees in ministries, parastatals, agencies, and pensioners.
The Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Femi Ajoloko, described the implementation as a fair and commendable adjustment.
“This decision reflects the governor’s magnanimity and his dedication to fostering a productive workforce in Ekiti State,” he said.
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