Africa CDC Appoints Ex-VP Osinbajo as Senior Strategic Adviser

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has named former Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as a Senior Strategic Adviser to its Director-General, Jean Kaseya. This appointment is intended to enhance leadership for the continent's health objectives.

Margaret Edwin, Director of Communication and Public Information at Africa CDC, announced the appointment on Monday. She stated that the decision aligns with the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda, which seeks to amplify Africa's influence in global health discussions, increase domestic funding for health, and expand the local manufacturing of medical supplies.

Ms Edwin further elaborated that Mr. Osinbajo will provide counsel on Africa's role in reforming the global health framework, developing sustainable health financing mechanisms, promoting local production, and forging crucial partnerships to advance the continent's health resilience and cooperation goals.

According to Edwin, the former vice-president brings substantial expertise in governance, finance, law, and diplomacy, which will be invaluable as Africa strives for greater autonomy in shaping its health future.

"This appointment underscores Africa CDC’s dedication to securing top-tier African leadership to serve the continent’s health security, sovereignty, and developmental aspirations," she remarked.

She also noted that his background in public policy and governance would be instrumental in supporting initiatives to build robust health systems across African Union member states, with a particular focus on preparedness, prevention, and response to health crises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Osinbajo, a legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, served as Nigeria’s vice-president from 2015 to 2023, during which he contributed to significant policy and governance reforms.

Prior to his vice presidency, he held the positions of Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, where he was involved in significant legal and administrative reforms.

During his tenure in government, he chaired Nigeria's Economic Sustainability Committee, spearheaded ease-of-doing-business reforms, advanced social investment programmes, and coordinated key national economic policies aimed at fostering inclusive growth across various sectors.