Ali Pate, the man whose pedigree sets high expectations and standards for Nigeria’s health sector

 

When he was included among those being considered for a ministerial role, it wasn’t hard for Nigerians to predict that Mr. Pate would be entrusted with leading the country’s struggling health sector.

However, on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu revealed the assignments for 45 ministers, nine days after their Senate confirmation following a week-long screening process.

Nigerians’ speculations about Mr. Pate turned out to be accurate, as Tinubu appointed the accomplished global health leader, Prof. Ali Muhammad Pate, as the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

Before his appointment, Pate held significant roles on various health-focused boards in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, both in Nigeria and abroad.

Born on September 6, 1968, in the Misau local government area of Bauchi State, Pate is reported to be the first in his family to complete secondary school education.

He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna state. After that, he worked in rural hospitals in Gambia for a few years.

Combining his roles as a Nigerian politician and physician specialized in internal medicine and infectious diseases, Pate holds an MBA from Duke University in the United States. He pursued further studies at the University College London and obtained a Master’s in Health System Management from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom.

Pate commenced his career at the World Bank Group as a Young Professional in 2000, focusing on health matters across various regions, including Africa and East Asia and the Pacific.

In 2008, he assumed the position of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Agency, which he held until 2011 when he became the Minister of State for Health.

During his tenure at NPHCDA, he initiated a policy that engaged leaders to promote immunization, leading to a significant drop in wild poliomyelitis cases from 803 in 2008 to only 11 in 2010.

Pate played a pivotal role in defining the transformation agenda for addressing persistent issues and introduced pioneering policies such as training middle management for primary healthcare and fostering public-private partnerships. He also established the Midwives’ Service Scheme to combat the high maternal and child mortality rates in the country.

In recognition of his contributions to healthcare in developing countries, he was honored with the Harvard Health Leader award by the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Programme in 2012.

In 2013, Pate left his position as the Minister of State for Health and assumed a role as a Professor at Duke University’s Global Health Institute in the United States.

He received the title of Chigarin Misau in May 2014, acknowledging his achievements and service to Nigeria, and subsequently founded the Chigari Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on community engagement in Nigeria.

From 2015 to 2018, Pate served as the Chief Executive Officer of Big Win Philanthropy, an independent foundation investing in the well-being of children and young people in developing countries.

In 2015, he contested the Bauchi state governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party but was defeated in the party primary.

In 2016, he conducted a course on ‘Leadership Development in Global Health: Building Community Trust Networks’ while serving as a Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

In May 2019, Pate assumed the role of Global Director, Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice at the World Bank, along with the Directorship of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents, based in Washington DC.

During his tenure at the World Bank from 2019 to 2021, he led the Bank’s $18 billion COVID-19 global health response and represented the Bank on various international health boards.

In March 2019, he participated in the gubernatorial election but didn’t secure victory.

He was appointed the Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in July 2019.

In September 2021, Pate returned to Harvard University as a Julio Frenk Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership.

He contested the APC governorship primary election in May 2022 but was defeated.

On October 11, 2022, Pate was honored with the Commander of the Order of the Niger title.

In July 2023, he stepped down as the CEO of Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, to return to Nigeria and contribute to his home country.