President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC) of the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa-CDC) in Nigeria, underscoring Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global health security.
President Tinubu, who serves as the African Union (AU) Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, approved the siting of the Centre in Abuja as part of his broader efforts to bolster Nigeria’s and West Africa’s collective capacity to respond swiftly to outbreaks.
The approval of the regional coordinating centre
The decision not only reinforces Nigeria’s dedication to health security but also seeks to leverage local economic opportunities within the healthcare delivery value chain.
- The establishment of the Centre is expected to enhance aggregate national productivity and reverse the human capacity drain by bolstering indigenous medical professionals and scientists’ ability to respond effectively to both existing and emerging diseases.
- Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, highlighted the socio-economic benefits that the Centre would bring, emphasizing its role in strengthening Nigeria’s and Africa’s overall well-being and stability.
- The socio-economic benefits are expected to come in the form of enhancing aggregate national productivity and reversing human brain drain.
- The establishment of the centre will strengthen the capabilities of indigenous medical professionals and scientists to respond to old, recent, and emerging diseases not only in Nigeria but across the continent.