The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, and two other Nigerian health experts have been recognised on TIME’s 2025 TIME100 Health list, a global ranking of the most influential individuals shaping the future of health.
The TIME100 Health list, assembled by the American news magazine TIME, highlights global leaders, advocates, and innovators who are transforming healthcare systems and advancing public health.
Information on the TIME website showed that the Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, was also recognised for her role in advancing national nutrition policy and driving food and nutrition reforms.
Abasi Ene-Obong, founder and CEO of global genomics company Syndicate Bio, and husband of Nollywood actress Ini Dima-Okojie, was also listed for expanding the frontiers of genetic research and personalised medicine.
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Also featured on the 2025 TIME100 Health list are Princess of Wales Kate Middleton; Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus; philanthropist Melinda Gates, and CEO of Novartis, Vas Narasimhan.
Ministry reacts
Announcing the selection of Mr Pate and Mrs Bako-Aiyegbusi, the ministry, in a statement signed by its Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, noted that the minister’s selection acknowledges his decades-long commitment to health equity, system reform, and primary healthcare advancement.
“Under his leadership and aligned with President Bola 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,” it noted
It added that 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.
The ministry highlighted that Mr Pate has been leading efforts to revitalise primary healthcare by strengthening frontline health facilities and expanding the community health workforce.
He is also focused on 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.
On Mrs Bako-Aiyegbusi’s recognition, the ministry said she was honoured for her pioneering leadership in advancing national nutrition policy and driving systemic food and nutrition reforms.
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Her work has been instrumental in improving maternal and child nutrition outcomes and reducing malnutrition across vulnerable populations through multi-sectoral, evidence-based strategies.
The statement cited her leadership in implementing the National Nutrition Policy aimed at improving nutrition outcomes for all Nigerians, as well as the rollout of the Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) programme, which provides pregnant women with 15 essential vitamins and minerals to combat anaemia and support healthier pregnancies.
She also spearheaded the expansion of large-scale food fortification programmes and championed nutrition-sensitive, gender-responsive social protection policies to address the root causes of malnutrition.
“This dual recognition not only honours the individual achievements of Mr Pate and Mrs Bako-Aiyegbusi but also celebrates Nigeria’s bold strides in health reform, nutrition policy, and global leadership in advancing public health,” the statement added.
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