The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has appointed H.E. Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as Senior Strategic Advisor to the Africa CDC Director General, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya.
The 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.
Prof. 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. A Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he is widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading legal, public policy and governance thinkers. During his years in public office, he chaired Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Committee, helped steer major economic reform efforts, led ease-of-doing-business reforms through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, and was closely associated with some of the country’s most significant social investment programmes.
“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 mobilizing 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.
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.