Ex-Minister Pate Turns Down GAVI CEO Job Over Possible Appointment In Nigeria

Indications emerged on Monday that a former Minister of State for Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, may be heading back home in Nigeria to take up a ministerial appointment in the President Bola Tinubu government.

In February, 2023, Pate was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, which works to provide vaccines in low-income countries.

GAVI was set up as a Global Health Partnership in 2000 with the goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.

He was to take up the top global position on August 3, 2023.

However, on Monday, June 26, 2023, GAVI announced Pate’s decision to decline his appointment as its next CEO.

Pate had informed the organisation that “he has taken an incredibly difficult decision to accept a request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria,” suggesting that he might be one of President Tinubu’s ministerial favourites.

Pate, a medical doctor and Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University, was to replace Seth Barkley, also a medical practitioner, who is expected to end his 12-year tenure as the organisation’s CEO on August 3, 2023.

Gavi announced Pate as Berkley’s successor, even as it promised to continue its work to support routine immunisation, outbreak response and COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide.

But, Gavi, in a statement published on its website on Monday, said the board decided to appoint David Marlow, currently Gavi’s Chief Operating Officer, to the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective August 3.

It said the appointment followed a communication from Pate, that he will not be able to join Gavi again.

“Mr Pate informed the Gavi Board Chair and Vice Chair that he has taken an incredibly difficult decision to accept a request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria,” Gavi wrote.

“Gavi fully respects the decision and wishes Mr Pate the very best for the future. On informing Gavi, Mr Pate thanked the Chair of the Gavi Board, José Manuel Barroso, the diverse set of Gavi Board members and partners, current CEO Seth Berkley, and the secretariat staff for their support over the last few months, commenting that he will remain a steadfast champion of the Gavi mission,” the global alliance added.

LEADERSHIP reports that, as required by a recently made law, President Tinubu is expected to forward his ministerial list to the Senage within 60 days of his assumption of office. But almost one month after he was sworn in, he was yet to appoint ministers.