Health Minister Pate Hails Nigeria’s Professor Abubakar’s Appointment As UCL Vice-Provost (Health), Congratulates Him
By Onwe Wisdom| Pan Afric Reporter, Abuja | July 25, 2025
In a landmark feat for Nigerian academia and global health leadership, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate congratulates Professor Ibrahim Abubakar on his appointment as the new Vice-Provost (Health) at the prestigious University College London (UCL).
Describing the appointment as a “proud moment for Nigeria,” Professor Pate in a press statement he personally signed, praised Abubakar’s track record of excellence in public health, infectious disease research, and international collaboration. “Professor Abubakar’s appointment reflects not only his personal excellence but also the growing recognition of Nigerian professionals at the forefront of global health,” Pate said in an official press statement released in Abuja.
Professor Abubakar, a leading epidemiologist known for his groundbreaking work in infectious diseases, will spearhead UCL’s cross-disciplinary health agenda under the newly established Vice-Provost (Health) role. He begins the post on a part-time basis, transitioning to full-time in 2025.
His mandate is to implement UCL’s ambitious “whole-university strategy for health,” integrating education, research, and innovation across all faculties—from biomedical and engineering to social sciences and policy. The goal is to craft holistic, cross-sectoral solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.
Since joining UCL in 2012 as Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Abubakar has steadily risen through the ranks, serving as Director of the Institute for Global Health, Dean of the Faculty of Population Health Sciences, and most recently, as Pro-Provost (Health) since 2023.
Professor Pate emphasized the national significance of this international recognition, stating, “His leadership will undoubtedly help shape critical cross-disciplinary solutions to health challenges worldwide, and it is an inspiration to our growing community of public health professionals.”
Professor Abubakar’s appointment is not only a personal milestone but also a strong endorsement of Nigeria’s rising influence in global health discourse.
