Tinubu appoints Temitope Ilori as first female DG of NACA, relocates agency to health ministry

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Temitope Ilori as the new director-general (DG) of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

In a statement on Thursday, Toyin Aderibigbe, NACA head of public relations, said Ilori’s initial term of four years began on February 22.

She takes over from Gambo Aliyu, who was the DG of the agency, from June 2019 till February 2024.

Ilori is the first female to be appointed as the director-general of the agency.

“Up until her appointment, Dr. Ilori was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, and a Consultant Family Physician in the Department of Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan,” the statement reads.

“Dr Ilori obtained her MBBS degree from the University of Ibadan and had her residency training at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. She graduated as the best graduating Fellow of the Faculty of Family Medicine, West African College of Physicians in April 2012 winning the A.O. Senbanjo Prize. She is also an Associate Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

“Dr Ilori has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD Fellow at the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa sponsored by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa.

“Her areas of research interest include Primary Care, Immunization, Public Health Nutrition, Non-Communicable Diseases, and Women’s and Child’s Health. She is a prolific researcher who has co-authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

“She has been involved in policy formulation and strategic development. She was a Commissioner for Health, Osun State, Nigeria from 2011 to 2014 and Chairperson, Osun State Agency on Control of HIV/AIDS, and Osun State Technical Working Group on Immunization.”

The president also approved the relocation of NACA to the ministry of health and social welfare.

NACA was previously domiciled in the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

Tinubu said the relocation of NACA to the ministry of health and social welfare is to foster synergy and enhance collaboration in pursuit of the nation’s goal to achieve the 95-95-95 pathway for ending the AIDS epidemic.