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, which is domiciled under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

This was made known in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

Ngelale noted that Mukhtar’s appointment was to unlock billions of dollars of new investment into the nation’s healthcare-delivery system through a time-bound and cross-ministerial collaboration 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).

The presidential spokesman listed the targeted achievements to include “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.

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“Measurable increase in quantity of quality jobs across the value chain through enhanced FDI and local capital mobilization.”

He added that President Tinubu expects that the new National Coordinator 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.”

Mukhtar is the immediate past Director of Industry and Trade Development at the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Prior to joining the AfDB, Mukhtar 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 14 African countries, in addition to important joint ventures in the power, oil and gas, and agriculture sectors.

This followed a four-year tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the FCTA’s Abuja Investment Company Limited from 2007 to 2011.

Mukhtar holds a Doctorate in Biotechnology from Boston University (USA), a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School (USA), a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Medical Degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The Star