The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has appointed the immediate past Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as Senior Strategic Advisor to the Africa CDC Director General, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya.
In his new role, Prof. Osinbajo will advise on Africa’s positioning in global health architecture reform, sustainable and sovereign health financing, local manufacturing, strategic partnerships, and policy leadership for Africa CDC and the African Union.
In a statement on Monday, Africa CDC noted that Osinbajo’s appointment “comes at a pivotal moment as Africa CDC advances the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda to strengthen Africa’s voice in global health, expand domestic and innovative financing, accelerate local manufacturing of health commodities, and build resilient health systems for pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response across the continent.”
It added: “Professor Osinbajo brings exceptional experience at the intersection of governance, finance, law, and diplomacy. At a time when Africa must act with greater ambition and authority on the future of health, his leadership will be invaluable. This appointment reflects Africa CDC’s commitment to mobilising African leadership of the highest calibre in service of the continent’s health security, sovereignty, and development,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
A Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Osinbajo served as Vice President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023 and previously as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. He is widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading legal, public policy, and governance thinkers.
As Nigeria’s Vice President, Osinbajo led the successful implementation of the country’s Economic Sustainability Plan, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2023, the former VP was appointed a Global Advisor to the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), to assist the organisation’s mission of accelerating clean energy deployment in developing countries.
