The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, have been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Global Health.
The 2025 TIME100 Health list, released on Thursday, celebrates global pioneers driving innovation, shaping public policy, and transforming health systems.
Also recognised is Nigerian geneticist Abasi Ene-Obong, founder and Chief Executive Officer of global genomics company Syndicate Bio, and husband of Nollywood actress Ini Dima-Okojie, for his groundbreaking work in genetic research and personalised medicine.
Pate, Bako-Aiyegbusi, and Ene-Obong are the only Nigerians included on the prestigious list.
Other notable figures featured include the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton; Director-General of the World Health OrganiSation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; philanthropist Melinda Gates; and CEO of Novartis, Vas Narasimhan.
TIME described Pate as a reformer shaped by a blend of personal experience and international exposure, noting that his passion for health reform began with a childhood tragedy.
According to the profile, Pate lost a friend who was first paralysed by polio and later fatally struck by a car. This experience sparked his lifelong commitment to improving health outcomes.
“I’m a nomad at heart,” Pate told TIME. “But I returned home in 2023 to become Nigeria’s Minister for Health and Social Welfare.”
Since his return, Pate has led sweeping reforms under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), supported by President Bola Tinubu.
His initiatives include vaccinating over 12 million girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), upgrading over 900 primary healthcare centres benefiting 12 million Nigerians, and launching the “Know Your Numbers” campaign, which has screened 10 million citizens for blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol.
“Our population cannot afford to get ill,” Pate said. “A healthier population will drive Nigeria’s economy. It will shape growth, prosperity, and a new path—for every community and vulnerable child.”
In a post on X, Pate expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying, “Backed by the visionary and bold leadership of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am deeply honoured to share that Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reform under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (#NHSRII) has received global recognition.”
He added, “Proud to also have been named alongside the Director of Nutrition in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr (Mrs) Ladidi K. Bako-Aiyegbusi.”
TIME praised Bako-Aiyegbusi for her innovative, locally tailored strategies to address Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis.
Working alongside the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and private-sector partners, her initiative aims to reach the most nutritionally vulnerable families—especially those who cannot afford protein-rich or fresh foods.
“Even if families can’t afford protein and fresh vegetables, they can afford the much less expensive bouillon,” the TIME article noted. “Bako-Aiyegbusi hopes to see malnutrition, stunting, and developmental delays decline.”
Ene-Obong, founder of Syndicate Bio, views the lack of genetic testing across Africa as a critical healthcare challenge.
To address the underrepresentation of African data in global genetic research, he has launched large-scale testing efforts across the continent, aiming to make affordable cancer risk assessments more widely accessible.
He believes this underrepresentation contributes to inequitable cancer treatments and higher mortality rates among people of African descent. His mission is to close these gaps and propel global precision medicine forward.
