Muhammad Ali Pate CON was recently listed among the ministerial nominees.
His story is truly inspiring in many ways, from being the first in his family to complete secondary school, to attending Ivy League institutions and working in world-class organizations to his immense contribution to the health sector in Nigeria.
Dr. Pate is a physician and politician, currently holding the position of Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University.
Previously, he served as the Global Director for Health, Nutrition, and Population and was the Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) at the World Bank Group. Pate also has experience as a former Minister of State for Health in Nigeria.
Humble beginnings to an enviable career trajectory
Muhammad Ali Pate, born in the Misau local government area of Bauchi State, Nigeria, was raised in the northern part of the country. He hails from a Fulani herdsman family.
Being the first in his family to complete secondary school, Pate went on to pursue his higher education at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) medical school in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
After successfully graduating from ABU, he ventured to The Gambia, where he dedicated a few years to working in rural hospitals. Later, he furthered his education and expertise by becoming a fellow in infectious diseases at the University of Rochester Medical Center in the United States.
He holds American Board certifications in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and has complemented his medical qualifications with an MBA (Health Sector Concentration) from Duke University in the USA.
Additionally, he pursued studies at University College London and attained a Masters in Health System Management from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK.
A stint at the Worldbank
Before assuming his position at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in 2008, Muhammad Pate enjoyed a distinguished career of over 10 years at the World Bank in Washington DC.
During his tenure, he held various high-ranking roles, including Senior Health Specialist and Human Development Sector Coordinator for the East Asia/Pacific Region, as well as Senior Health Specialist for the African Region.
Throughout his time at the World Bank, Pate played a pivotal role in leading significant health sector reform programs in Africa, East Asia, and other regions.
Notably, he spearheaded a groundbreaking Public-Private Partnership initiative aimed at replacing a National Referral Hospital in Lesotho, Africa, signifying his commitment to innovative and impactful healthcare projects.
National honours
In 2022, Muhammad Ali Pate, along with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Amina J. Mohammed, were honoured with Nigeria’s national distinctions. Pate received the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) title.
In 2019, Pate was appointed as the Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
He had previously served as the Minister of Health in Nigeria, starting from July 2011 after his role as the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in Abuja.
In July 2013, he resigned from his position as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health to assume the role of Professor at Duke University’s Global Health Institute in the USA.
He also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Big Win Philanthropy and an adjunct professor of Global Health at Duke University Global Health Institute.
On September 1, 2021, Pate rejoined Harvard University as the Julio Frenk Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
In February 2023, Muhammad Ali Pate was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, an organization dedicated to providing vaccines in low-income countries.
He is a member of several boards, commissions and committees, some of which are:
Member, Lancet Commission on the Future of Health in Sub-Saharan Africa, Member, Steering Committee on the Value of Vaccination Research Network, Harvard University, Member, Steering Committee, Study on the Assessment of the Impact of Polio Eradication on Routine Immunization and Primary Health Care, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011–2012, Co-chair, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, and many others.