Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has continued to enjoy
a flourishing career abroad after her role as
finance minister of Nigeria which was
marred with controversies.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala has been reappointed the
Chairman of Gavi, a global health initiative of
billionaire, Bill & Melinda Gates, set up with
the aim of saving children’s lives and
protecting people’s health by increasing
equitable use of vaccines in third worlds
and developing countries. She was
reappointed for another 3-year term.
Announcing her re-appointment, the
organization in a statement posted on its
website, said Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership
qualities has helped further its engagements
in developing countries.
The statement in part reads;
“Since her appointment in 2016, Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership has enabled the
Alliance to further its engagement with
developing countries and for partners to
scale-up and finance immunisation
programmes, while fostering public-private
initiatives to improve access to healthcare
for those most in need. Dr Okonjo-Iweala
has also been an instrumental advocate for
the positive economic benefits of
vaccination.
The direction she has provided to the Gavi
Board has been critical in the
implementation of the Gavi 2016-2020
strategy, which aims to support the
vaccination of a further 300 million children
against life-threatening diseases, preventing
5 to 6 million deaths”.
Reacting to her re-appointment, the former
Minister said;
“I am greatly honoured by the confidence
the Gavi Alliance Board has placed in me and
as Chair of the Board I am excited to be
given the opportunity to continue to
dedicate my work to that greatest purpose
of protecting the lives of millions of the
poorest children in the world with life-
saving vaccines. Universal access to
immunisation will play a fundamental role in
bringing about healthy, resilient populations
and in ensuring that we develop stronger
economies as we face the challenges of the
next century.”
