In a bid to checkmate medical tourism, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Abdu Mukhtar to serve as the National Coordinator of the Presidential ‘Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain’ Initiative.
Domiciled under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Initiative aims to unlock new investment into the nation’s healthcare delivery system through a time-bound and cross-ministerial collaboration.
The initiative is expected to restructure the ecosystem of Health Product Manufacturing, Health Logistics services, Health Technology services, Health Retail services (e-commerce), Health Provider facilitation, and Health Payor reform (Third-party administrators and insurers).
A statement by Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that the initiative is to achieve a measurable increase in the domestic manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biologics, and devices.
“Reduction of outbound medical tourism by enhancing service quality in Nigeria while catalyzing alternative health ecosystems in-country.”
“Measurable increase in the quantity of quality jobs across the value chain through enhanced Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and local capital mobilization,” he added.
According to the statement, Dr. Mukhtar was the immediate past Director of Industry and Trade Development at the African Development Bank (AfDB). Before joining the AfDB, he served as the Group Chief Strategy Officer of the Dangote Group of Industries, where he played a key role in the conglomerate’s expansion of its cement production footprint into fourteen African countries.
It added that Dr. Mukhtar holds a Doctorate in Biotechnology from Boston University (USA), a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School (USA), a Master in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Medical Degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
” The President expects that the National Coordinator of this new cross-ministerial initiative will bring to bear his vast experience and academic qualifications in the effective execution of this essential national assignment such that the massive economic boon represented by Nigeria’s healthcare-delivery system can move from potential and theory into reality and practice in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration,” Ajuri noted.
