Ali Pate and Bako-Aiyegbusi Named Among TIME’s 100 Most Influential in Global Health

Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, have been named to TIME Magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential People in Global Health.

Released on Thursday, the prestigious list celebrates individuals worldwide who are shaping health policy, driving innovation, and profoundly impacting global health outcomes.

Pate and Bako-Aiyegbusi are the only Nigerians to feature on this year’s list, with TIME highlighting their distinct yet complementary contributions. Pate was hailed as a reformer whose leadership is deeply informed by personal experiences and international exposure. Bako-Aiyegbusi earned praise for her groundbreaking, locally driven solutions to Nigeria’s persistent malnutrition crisis.

Reacting to the honour on social media platform X, Pate expressed gratitude and pointed to the recognition as a validation of the ongoing transformation within Nigeria’s health sector.

See Also

Police arrest suspect who ‘posed as World Bank official to defraud victims’

“I am deeply honoured to share that Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reform, under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (#NHSRII), has received global recognition, as I have been named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Global Health,” he wrote.

He also commended Bako-Aiyegbusi, adding, “Proud to also have been named along with the Director of Nutrition in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. (Mrs) Ladidi K. Bako-Aiyegbusi.”