President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dr. Temitope Ilori as the Director-General (DG) of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).
She replaces Gambo Aliyu, DG of the agency from June 2019 till February 2024.
According to a statement on Thursday by NACA Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, Ilori’s initial term of four years had already begun on February 22.
The university lecturer is the first female to man the position.
“Up until her appointment, Dr. Ilori was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, and a Consultant Family Physician in the Department of Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan,” the statement reads.
“Dr Ilori obtained her MBBS degree from the University of Ibadan and had her residency training at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. She graduated as the best graduating Fellow of the Faculty of Family Medicine, West African College of Physicians in April 2012 winning the A.O. Senbanjo Prize. She is also an Associate Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
“Dr Ilori has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD Fellow at the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa sponsored by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa.
“Her areas of research interest include Primary Care, Immunization, Public Health Nutrition, Non-Communicable Diseases, and Women’s and Child’s Health. She is a prolific researcher who has co-authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
“She has been involved in policy formulation and strategic development. She was a Commissioner for Health, Osun State, Nigeria from 2011 to 2014 and Chairperson, Osun State Agency on Control of HIV/AIDS, and Osun State Technical Working Group on Immunization.”
The President also approved the relocation of NACA to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, instead of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
According to the President, the relocation of NACA to the Ministry of Health would foster synergy and enhance collaboration in pursuit of the nation’s goal to achieve the 95-95-95 pathway for ending the AIDS epidemic.
