President Bola Tinubu has designated Dr. Temitope Ilori as the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), commencing a tenure of four years. This appointment was made public through a statement issued by President Tinubu’s media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday.
Dr. Ilori, a seasoned lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Ibadan and a consulting family physician at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, brings a wealth of academic and professional experience to her new role. She completed her MBBS degree at the University of Ibadan and underwent residency training at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
She holds prestigious distinctions, including being a fellow of the Faculty of Family Medicine, West African College of Physicians, and recipient of the A.O. Senbanjo Prize in 2012. Additionally, she is an associate fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN).
With academic prowess evident, Dr. Ilori also boasts Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Ibadan. Currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, she has co-authored over 30 publications in esteemed peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Prior to her appointment, Dr. Ilori served as the Commissioner for Health in Osun State from 2011 to 2014, where she also chaired the Osun State Agency on Control of HIV/AIDS (O-SACA). This extensive experience positions her ideally to lead NACA.
Ngelale emphasized President Tinubu’s expectation for Dr. Ilori to leverage her expertise effectively in her new capacity. Dr. Ilori’s mandate encompasses coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of the Strategic National Plan for HIV/AIDS/STDs control. Additionally, she is tasked with mobilizing resources for a sustainable response to HIV/AIDS/STDs, underscoring the critical role she is poised to play in advancing public health initiatives.