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MR. BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN
Born on the 28th of June 1963 in Lagos, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN is a 1987, Law graduate of the University of Benin, and after a 14-year stint in Law practice has had a public service career that is now 18 years long and still running. In that period of public service, he has served as Chief of Staff and Commissioner in the Lagos State Government, two term Governor of Lagos and is now serving a second term as Minister of the Federal Government having first been appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2019.
As an advocate, Mr Fashola has distinguished himself. In August 2004, he was conferred with the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria [SAN], Nigeria’s highest legal distinction. He is the first member of the 1988 Law School set to take the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and the Second University of Benin Faculty of Law graduate to be so honored. As a public servant he has served with no less distinction and dedication, and has been acknowledged locally and internationally for his dedication and service.
Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN is the recipient of the prestigious Stephen J. Solarz Award of the International Crisis Group in 2015 for his commitment to building a peaceful and vibrant society; his work to improve social and economic conditions in Lagos including his role in preventing the Ebola outbreak from becoming a crisis in Nigeria. He was listed in 2014 as one of the 100 Top Global Thinkers for 2013 by a global personality assessment organisation, Lo Spazio della Politica (LSDP) based in Italy and Brussels. TIME Magazine has commended him for “the overhaul of Lagos infrastructure” while The Economist Magazine acknowledged him as “a rare good man” and a Governor “who does his job well.” Mr. Fashola, SAN is Patron, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIA), Member, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Member, International Bar Association (IBA); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN); Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN is married to Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola and they are blessed with children.
HIS HIGHNESS MUHAMMAD SANUSI II, CON (SARKIN KANO)
His Highness Muhammad Sanusi II became the 14th Fulani Emir of Kano on 8 June, 2014. It is a role he desired and for which he prepared himself throughout much of his life. Born July 31, 1961 to Muhammad Aminu Sanusi and Saudatu Anduwa Hussain, Sanusi descends from a lineage marked by its combination of royal blood and public service, in the spiritual as well as the temporal domain. Numerous imams and judges are to be found among his forebears.
After childhood Qur’anic studies and elementary school, Sanusi entered King’s College Lagos, then earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria — where he also taught economics. In 1985, he launched a distinguished banking career at ICON Ltd. Merchant Bankers, a subsidiary of Morgan Guaranty Trust and Baring Brothers. Later, he joined United Bank for Africa, running its credit and risk management division and then rising to the position of general manager. In 2005, he moved to First Bank, where he was appointed, group managing director in 2009.
In June 2009, Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’adua appointed Sanusi Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. It was a trying moment to take up such a post: the world was reeling in the throes of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In recognition of his giant strides, The Banker Magazine named Sanusi the World’s Best Central Bank Governor of the Year for 2011. Emir Sanusi pioneered the introduction of Islamic banking into the Nigerian banking sector when he was Governor of the Central Bank, and he received the Global Islamic Finance Leadership Award (GIFA) and became the GIFA Laureate of 2015. He had earlier been given the Global Islamic Finance Excellence Award in 2013.
On June 6, 2014, Kano Emir Ado Bayero, Sanusi’s great uncle, passed away, after a half-century reign. Two days later, four kingmakers and Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso announced that Lamido Sanusi was their choice to succeed him. He continues to bring his wealth of experience and contacts to bear on key development projects like public health, girl-child education advocacy and reforms of Muslim family law as well as the systems of zakat and auqaf (endowments).
He has several publications and dozens of academic papers on politics, the economy and religion in various Nigerian newspapers, many of which are available on the internet. He has been awarded various doctorate degrees by universities across the country. In the course of his career as a banker, His Highness received various awards including but not limited to;
- Central Bank of Nigeria Governor of the year for Sub- Saharan Africa by the Emerging Market Magazine for the years 2010, 2011 and 2013
- Central Bank Governor of Africa 2013 by the African Banker Magazine
- African Central Bank Governor of the year 2011 by Banker Magazine.
PROFESSOR EMMANUEL ONI IDIGBE
Professor Emmanuel Oni Idigbe is a Medical Microbiologist with over 40 years’ experience in Public Health Research and Administration. He obtained a B.Sc. (Microbiology) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1974 and a Ph.D. (Medical Microbiology) from the University of Glasgow, Scotland in 1979. He joined the services of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Lagos in 1980 as a Research Fellow II and after several years of active and dedicated service, he rose to become the Director-General /CEO of the Institute in 2000. He held this position for 2 tenures between 2000-2008. Subsequently, he served as the Coordinator of Research Planning and Management in the Institute from 2008 to 2017 when he finally disengaged from the services of the Institute.
Professor Idigbe’s main areas of research interests are Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR/XDR), HIV/AIDS, STIs, Health Systems Strengthening, Laboratory Quality Systems and Leadership in Science. He is a recipient of over 25 national and international research grants and through leveraging on these, he contributed significantly to the development of human and infrastructural capacities for health research and health care delivery in these areas in the Nigeria. Significant amongst these contributions are: the establishment of a National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS (now ISO-accredited) and a Biosafety Level-3 (BSL3) Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis (ISO Accredited) at NIMR. He also established a comprehensive ARV Clinic in the Institute where cumulatively, over 30000 patients have received and still receiving treatment and care for HIV/AIDS. Between 2007 -2017, he served as the Chairman of the National Committee for Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) in Nigeria and through this platform he facilitated the establishment of four Zonal Reference Laboratories for MDR-TB as well as helped in networking of laboratories for routine surveillance of MDRTB in the country. Between 2004-2009, he served as Consultant and Grant Administrator for the Harvard School of Public Health PEPFAR Project in Nigeria. Under this capacity, he administered the 5 Harvard PEPFAR Sites across the country and facilitated the establishment of several ARV clinics.
He has served and still serving on the Executive/Advisory Boards of several National and International health-based organizations as well as on the Scientific Review Committees of several grant awarding organizations. In addition to providing community health services under HUDPI, Professor Idigbe is currently providing Consultancy services to the Africa Center for Disease control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), on strengthening National Public Health Institutes and Surveillance for Antimicrobial Resistance in the African Region.
He has contributed to global scientific knowledge and presently has over 130 published training modules; contributions to books and scientific articles in peer review journals.
PROFESSOR OYE GUREJE, FAS, FNAMed, NNOM
Professor Gureje is Professor of Psychiatry and Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neuroscience and Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ibadan. He is also Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan and Extraordinary Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He obtained his medical degree (MBBS) from the University of Benin, MSc from the University of Manchester and PhD from the University of Ibadan where, in 2004, he also became the second person ever to obtain a DSc by examination. He is Fellow of the West African College of Physicians, National Postgraduate Medical College, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
Professor Gureje is best known for his work in global mental health, epidemiology (of mental, neurological and substance use disorders, including of mental-physical comorbidity, aging and psychiatric nosology. He conducted the largest epidemiological studies of mental disorders in Nigeria, both in primary care and in the general population, the latter in four major Nigerian languages, and the largest study of aging in Africa. He has recently led large intervention studies for depression, for perinatal depression and the ground-breaking randomized controlled trial of a collaborative shared care for psychosis delivered by traditional and faith healers working with biomedical primary care providers, conducted in Ghana and Nigeria. Professor Gureje has, since 2018, been a Member, Committee for Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation, UK National Institute of Health Research. He is Chair, Research Advisory Board of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. A recipient of several honors, he is a 2008 laureate of the Nigerian National Order of Merit and, in 2013, he became the first psychiatrist to be elected Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He is also Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Medicine (2021).
Professor Gureje has published over 500 refereed journal articles, book chapters, monographs and letters/book reviews/commentaries. He is co-author of 3 edited books and guest editor of 3 special journal issues. He is Nigeria’s most published and cited researcher (Afriscitech.com) and, described as one of the “most influential scientific minds”, he is listed among the global highly cited scientists (Clarivate Analytics). Professor Gureje has received research grant awards from the WHO, Grand Challenges Canada, Wellcome Trust, the European Union, International Development Research Center, Australia Aid, National Institute of Mental Health (USA), National Institute of Ageing (USA) and the Medical Research Council (UK).
MRS MOJI MAKANJUOLA, MFR
Moji Makanjuola is a Public Health/Development Professional, Journalist, Author, Shows and Events Host, Master of Ceremonies and Compere par Excellence. Moji Makanjuola, MFR, currently heads the International Society of Media in Public Health (as Executive Director) – a non-governmental organization devoted to mainstreaming the media as a potent tool to accelerate health care information and delivery in Nigeria and beyond, such that public health rights are pursued as human rights through dissemination of health information and advocacy in public health. She also heads Bronz & Onyx International Limited a marketing, creative communication, and media outfit with the vision to be one of the leading providers of integrated and strategic communications in various dynamic media.
Moji holds a Bachelor degree in Media Studies from American Heritage University, San Bernadino USA. She has an Advance Diploma in Media Studies from Bayero University Kano. She has in view a Master Degree in Media Studies from the University of Abuja. She is a Knight Fellow of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Atlanta, USA. She attended both Voice of America Training School and Gemini News London’s course in Environmental Reporting. She had her earliest broadcast trainings at the Prestigious Nigerian Television Authority Training School, Jos and the Nigerian Broadcast Corporation Training School Lagos respectively.
Moji has produced several programs and advocacy programs on Maternal and Children Health, Polio Eradication, Health systems promotion, communicable and non-communicable disease, women’s health in particular with regards to Family Planning and child spacing, has produced programmes on Malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis. She has conducted high level meetings on HIV/AIDS and malaria. She has actively lobbied, pushed, coordinated and actively programmed for Bills on Gender & Equal Opportunity (G&EOB), Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP). She is a published author and has a best seller at the Abuja Literary Forum – Health Journalism, A Journey with Moji Makanjuola.
She is a multiple award winner – having earned over 60 awards. She speaks English, Yoruba and Hausa languages fluently and she is married with 3 children.