The World Bank has appointed Muhammad Ali Pate, a former Nigerian Minister of State for Health as its Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population.
Pate was also appointed as Director of Global Financing Facility (GFF) of the World Bank Group, which is a Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents helping governments in low- and lower-middle income countries transform how they prioritize and finance the health and nutrition of their people in order to enable them thrive in the global economy.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), congratulated the ex-minister on Wednesday via his verified
Twitter handle and said he looks forward to working closely with Pate.
Dr. Pate was a Nigerian minister between July 2011 – July 2013 under the former government of President Goodluck Jonathan. In addition to serving at the cabinet, he served on the National Economic Management Team (NEMT).
Upon his resignation from the cabinet he proceeded to Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University in North Carolina in the US as Visiting Professor between July 2013 and July 2015.
He had previously worked as the Human Development Sector Coordinator, East Asia, and Pacific Region and Senior Health Specialist, Africa region, for the World Bank Group.
As Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) between 2008 to 2011, Pate worked hard to end polio in Nigeria and save millions of children from the deadly disease.
Pate has a strong academic background in health, holding a medical degree from Nigeria, an MBA degree on Health Sector Concentration from Duke University, USA, and a Masters in Health Systems Management from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, in 2012.
He has received various awards including the prestigious Harvard Health Leader award for his immense contribution to health in developing countries.