Pate leads FG delegation to European partners, Bill Gates Foundation on health sector transformation

Nigeria’s Health Minister Ali Pate, has said the federal government is training health professionals who will work in the health sector and be involved in franchise on breast cancer and cardiovascular disease diagnostics, thereby aiming to train a diverse range of EU-African talents.

He said this in a post via his X account detailing his trip to Brussels, the EU capital in Belgium where he led a delegation of a team to European partners on health sector transformation.

Pate said the objective of the trip was to engage in dialogue and explore mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities between the key European public and private sector entities to advance Nigeria / Africa’s aspiration to optimize the health care value chain and improve health security.

He said federal government through the 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, will soon announce key steps towards a major venture / equity fund.

According to him, the initiative will come as a strategic structural intervention to shape the biomedical entrepreneurship space in Nigeria looking towards the promising pan-African landscape.

He stated that this will be something the European, and indeed other investors, will find very exciting. To quote our President, “𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬” and the health sector has an important part to play.

“Nigeria’s health sector value chain is ripe for transformation and with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s @officialABAT initiative, we are forging ahead in an unprecedented manner.

“Partners like the European Commission @EU_Commission, European Investment Bank @EIB, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation European Office @gatesfoundation, and several global and regional private sector investors and industry leaders are key to driving the transformation alongside Nigerian and African startups, businesses, and leaders.

“In the last 2 days, I led high level multi-sectoral delegation of Mr. President’s team to Brussels, comprising of my colleagues, Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Hon (Dr) Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite MD,CFA @DrDorisAnite @TradeInvestNG and the Hon Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure @drmmariya.

“Also, we had the National Coordinator of the Health Care Value Chain Initiative, Dr. 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐫, DG National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Dr. Obi Peter Adigwe @DrAdigwe, @NIPRD2, and FCT Mandate Secretary for Health Dr. Dolapo Fasawe @OfficialFCTA @drdolapofasawe.

“Our objective was to engage in dialogue and explore mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities between the key European public and private sector entities to advance Nigeria / Africa’s aspiration to optimize the health care value chain and improve health security.

“As we leave Brussels, Belgium, “capital” of the European Union, to head home to Abuja, we have a strong sense of fulfillment and appreciation for the great support and encouragement we received all around.

“Impressive initial pipeline of potential investable opportunities, ranging from diagnostics and bio pharmaceutical manufacturing, creation of an Abuja biomedical campus and ecosystem, and network of private sector managed world-class CROs.

“Also, we’re targeting the training of health talent and EU-Africa scholarly exchanges as we explore managed migration in the health sector. There’s a strong potential to advance medical textiles manufacturing, malaria, #RMNCH, and a closed franchise on cardiovascular and breast cancer diagnostics.

“As part of the 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, we will soon announce key steps towards a major venture / equity fund. This will come as a strategic structural intervention to shape the biomedical entrepreneurship space in Nigeria looking towards the promising pan-African landscape. And this will be something the European, and indeed other investors, will find very exciting. To quote our President, “𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬” and the health sector has an important part to play.

“My colleague Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, committed to support the initiative via enablement policies, some of which will be manifested in the EO to be developed for consideration by our Boss, Mr. President. This will enable Nigerian manufacturers to thrive and, importantly, spur the flow of foreign direct investments in health.

“We also learned a lot of lessons from key private sector actors and university players on the evolution of the Belgian biotechnology ecosystem. Great insights on how Belgium appropriately enabled its private sector to be among the most productive in Europe.

“Thank you 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐭 for your great mentorship, friendship, and facilitation.”