Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare has been named among TIME100 health’s most influential people of 2025. The recognition by TIME magazine celebrates global leaders who are reimagining health systems and catalysing impact at scale.
Prof. Pate is being recognised for revitalising primary healthcare and reshaping Nigeria’s healthcare system. For Nigeria’s health minister to be recognised and celebrated on this stage, it means one thing only; systemic changes are taking place in our healthcare delivery system and remarkable successes have been recorded within such a very short period of just 2 years.
Pate, a Harvard trained physician and a former Global Director at the World Bank has had the opportunity to study healthcare delivery systems across the world and is therefore very well equipped to undertake the transformation of our system. This is manifesting in the gradual and steady rebuild and automation of our system into a more efficient one, where our infrastructure and personnel are being upgraded to match global standards. Our healthcare delivery system is being positioned to handle the healthcare challenges in our country, where our ballooning population continues to create more problems for our overstretched and archaic system.
Just recently, the health minister along with the education minister who was also a health minister and colleague of Pate, announced that Nigeria’s annual nursing enrolment has been increased from 28,000 in May 2024, to 115,000 in May 2025. This is to strengthen the country’s healthcare and education sectors. It is also to address and curb the brain drain threatening the health sector.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had in 2023 warned that the nation was headed towards a catastrophic human resources crisis in the health sector if the migration rate of medical and dental practitioners overseas was not reversed. The new increased enrolment capacity is the beginning of the transformation of nursing education in Nigeria, positioning the country to meet domestic and global demands for qualified healthcare professionals. The President Tinubu administration is increasing its focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM). The huge expansion in the nursing enrolment capacity is a product of the collaboration between the health ministry and the education ministry, and it is widely applauded as a move that would enable our healthcare delivery to provide better services while managing an ever-growing population.
More than 1,000 primary healthcare centres have been revitalised. Another 8,800 centres are being developed in 2025, taking the number of primary healthcare centres across the country to 19,000. More than 120,000 medical personnel including nurses and doctors are being trained to upgrade and update their skill set and know-how. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu performed a ceremony where the National Health Fellows Programme was established, and 774 fellows were inducted, one each from the 774 local governments in the country. More are to come.
Prof. Pate, recently announced Nigeria’s most ambitious investment in cancer care – the establishment of West Africa’s largest network of oncology and diagnostic centres. This initiative is going to train over 500 clinicians and is projected to serve over 2,000 patients and 350,000 diagnostic clients annually. Three newly built centres from a total of six will soon be commissioned by Mr. President. The three include Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka and University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
The National Health Insurance Authority has launched a cost-sharing programme to expand access to cancer treatment. Under this initiative, disadvantaged patients undergoing radiotherapy can receive subsidies of up to N400,000; thereby easing the financial burden on families significantly.
Poor power supply, outages and other electricity-related problems in our hospitals will soon be a thing of the past, as efforts are being made to install solar-powered solutions in our teaching hospitals. REA along with other NGOs are embracing solar energy to power quite a number of hospitals. REA is equipping 20 universities along with three teaching hospitals and counting. Facilities, which have historically depended on expensive fuel generating sets are now gradually being moved to source power from renewable energy sources allowing for more sustainable access to critical medical devices, medication and infrastructure.
In the same vein, the present administration has secured a $5.5 billion private sector investment to boost local pharmaceutical manufacturing and at the same time develop a skilled workforce. This was also disclosed by Prof. Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare. Nigeria has signed an agreement with the Empower School of Health Geneva, to establish the Empower Academy Nigeria, as a pharmaceutical manufacturing training institute; designed to equip more than 2000 Nigerian professionals annually with world class skills.
The Tinubu’s Administration has been truly committed to the revitalisation and revamping of the nation’s healthcare service delivery system. The government has intentionally breathed life into the numerous blueprints and pieces of legislation that have hitherto been sterling policies and programmes on paper only. Policies are being implemented to the letter and it is no longer the business-as-usual style where we have pronouncements upon pronouncements without any tangible gains.
For example, over 4,000 pregnant women have received free CS operations since the government’s pronouncement on free C-section operations. Emergency victims receive free care and medication for the first 48 hours until they regain consciousness and an appreciable degree of improved health before their relatives/guardians take over their care and expenses.
As more and more specialist hospitals are being upgraded and converted to Federal Medical Centres, improved and equipped healthcare is gradually and speedily coming to the doorstep of every Nigerian. In just two years, billions of investments and grants are turning the tide in our healthcare system and Nigeria is fast becoming a world centre for medical tourism. The naysayers can wish away all the developments in our healthcare delivery system but they cannot wish away the new narrative of a fast-developing system that is being celebrated and enjoyed around the country.
Another two years from now, and we will definitely attain those expected heights in healthcare delivery. The changes and the improvements in our health sector are too glaring to deny or belittle. Little wonder President Tinubu speaks highly of Prof. Pate. Do not be surprised when you meet Bauchi people like me celebrating him in Bauchi, the changes and positive impacts brought about by his tenure since his appointment by Mr. President have been simply outstanding. The underprivileged in our society are celebrating and appreciating the new wave of real and impactful policies in the health sector.
