Jobs/Appointments
Ebere Okereke Appointed Africa Public Health Foundation CEO
By Adedapo Adesanya
Africa Public Health Foundation has announced the appointment of Dr Ebere Okereke as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
With her wealth of experience spanning 30 years as a global health physician in various fields, notably in the United Kingdom, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Trinidad & Tobago, the foundation says she brings a depth of expertise in leadership, change management, system strengthening and organizational development.
This also includes programme design and implementation team building, stakeholder engagement and management communication, training, advocacy, report writing, presentation and, generally technical expertise in public and global health.
She has co-authored e-learning resources for the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
Additionally, she was an honorary senior lecturer at the School of Medicine, Leeds University and is an associate member of the Bradford University School of Health Studies Centre for Inclusion and Diversity and on the steering committee and faculty of the Africa CDC Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership programme.
“The Governing Council, led by Dr Bernard Haufiku, welcomes Dr Okereke and looks forward to working with her to achieve the Foundation’s mission of improving public health in Africa,” a statement from the group said.
Africa Public Health Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation committed to improving public health outcomes and promoting health equity in Africa through the provision of resources, knowledge, and support for health systems strengthening health workforce development, and community-based health interventions.
As the CEO, Dr Okereke’s key priorities will include strengthening the organisation’s role as a leader in promoting health equity in Africa, building strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, and enhancing the Foundation’s capacity to respond to emerging health challenges in the region.
She has been an honorary senior public health adviser to past directors Director of Africa CDC and has led several special programs, including being one of those who played a key role in the development of the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing, the steering of the development of Africa CDC’s 2022-2027 strategy and leadership capacity programs, and the ongoing transition to an autonomous African Union agency.
As a medical consultant in global public health, Dr Okereke led the development of the £16 million Public Health England (PHE, now UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)) program, which strengthened the capacity of low- and middle-income countries to comply with the International Health Regulations.
She also has extensive experience in developing capacity and training health professionals and the public about public health programs, including co-authoring e-learning resources for the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
“I am honoured and excited to be taking on the role of CEO of Africa Public Health Foundation at this critical time. I am committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to promote health equity and improve public health outcomes in Africa,” she said of her appointment.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An outsourced human resources (HR) management solution designed to accelerate the activities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country has been introduced by a leading talent management company in Nigeria, Jobrole Consulting Limited.
This plan, called Jobrole Flexi HR, will enable small business owners to navigate common HR challenges while focusing on core business operations.
It is an integrated human resources and business solution designed to meet the administrative needs of Nigerian small businesses and help them grow from sole proprietorships to flourishing organizations with select employees and clientele lists.
Jobrole Consulting is reputed for its wide-ranging human resources solution for high business performance, and this new package further cements its status in the industry.
The Director of Strategy and New Market at Jobrole Consulting, Mr Chigbo Okeke, informed newsmen that the Jobrole Flexi HR plan was to justify that people are a strategic resource for every business.
According to him, no matter how large or small a business is, there is always a need to use effective HR strategic planning techniques to manage the company’s resources and minimize human resources issues.
“We are excited to introduce Jobrole Flexi HR plan to the Nigerian SME market. This is an outsourced HR management solution that assists start-ups and other small-to-medium-sized businesses in reducing operational issues such as staff identity risks, recruitment turnaround time, hiring costs, and developing HR policies for your organization.
“These HR activities are vital business functions, strategic to the operational success of all businesses. We help our clients carry out these tasks and get them done without a hitch while they face their core business operations,” he said.
Mr Okeke added that, “Nigerian small businesses must prioritize building a comprehensive human resources programme into the company’s overall business strategy.”
This, he said, is critical to increasing their bottom line and capable of strengthening their organization’s competitive advantage.
Some Flexi HR deliverables include staff recruitment, onboarding and documentation, employee background checks, performance management, payroll management, and HR policy development.
He urged small business owners in Nigeria to take into account that the HR role is key to their operations, noting that with the changing nature of the work environment in recent years, it is now very clear that the role of HR is very significant for small and bigger businesses because the value one or a few employees add to the business’s performance is quite significant and immeasurable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The former chief executive officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mr Yemi Kale, has joined a leading audit firm, KPMG Nigeria, as a partner and chief economist.
Mr Kale was also Nigeria’s Statistician General of the Federation between 2011 and 2021 and was very respected for how he projected the agency as a reputable stats agency.
In a post on Thursday, KPMG said Mr Kale would lead the company’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of our solutions involving economic modelling and macroeconomic analysis in private and public sector clients.
“The partners and staff of KPMG Nigeria are pleased to welcome Dr Oyeyemi Kale to our firm as he assumes the role of Partner and Chief Economist of KPMG Nigeria.
“Yemi holds a B.Sc. Honours degree in Economics (first class), Addis Ababa University, and an http://M.Sc. (Distinction) and PhD in Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
“He has deep experience, gained from both the private and public sector, in macroeconomic analysis, financial, economic and investment research and fiscal and macroeconomic policy advisory.
“From 2011 to 2021, he served as the Statistician General of the Federation/Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
“As our Chief Economist, Yemi will lead the firm’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of our solutions involving economic modelling & macroeconomic analysis in private and public sector clients,” the announcement read.
Under his watch, the stats office released data that were favourable and unfavourable to the ruling government with fear.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom Government has appointed Mr Richard Montgomery as the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria.
The UK government announced his appointment in a statement on Tuesday, and he will succeed Ms Catriona Laing, who has been the UK’s representative in Nigeria since November 2018.
According to the statement, Ms Laing will be transferred to another diplomatic service appointment.
The High Commissioner is the UK government’s representative in a commonwealth nation. It is the equivalent of an ambassador, and since Nigeria is a former colony of the UK, the country has a High Commissioner instead of an ambassador.
The High Commissioner is charged with the direction and work of the consulate, including political relations, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.
Mr Montgomery’s past experiences include Counsellor (development) and Head of Office, Department for International Development (DFID), Abuja, from 2009-2013.
He has also held executive development roles in Zambia, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
His most recent post was the UK executive director for the World Bank Group in Washington.
He has a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge, alongside other research-related qualifications from GKW Consult Mannheim and Manchester University.
Mr Montgomery is expected to begin his new role in April 2023.
