# Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is one of the Federal Ministries of Nigeria concerned with the formulation and implementation of policies related to health. It is headed by two ministers appointed by the president, assisted by a permanent secretary, who is a career civil servant. The current Minister of Health is Muhammad Ali Pate, the Minister of State for Health is Iziaq Adekunle Salako and the Permanent Secretary is Daju Kachollom.

## Departments

The Ministry has several departments specializing in different aspects of health care. The Family Health department is concerned with creating awareness on reproductive, maternal and neonatal and child health, ensuring sound nutrition including infant and young child feeding, and care of the elderly and adolescents.
The department of Public Health coordinates formulation, implementation and evaluation of public health policies and guidelines. It undertakes health promotion, surveillance, prevention and control of diseases.
Functions of the department of Planning Research and Statistics include developing plans and budgets and monitoring their implementation, serving as Secretariat to the National Council on Health, conducting health research in collaboration with other departments and agencies, institutions and parastatals, conducting operational research and data collection, and performing various coordination functions.
The department of Hospital Services coordinates Nigeria's Teaching hospitals, Orthopedic Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and National Eye Centers. The department processes appointment of chief medical directors and medical directors, supervises oral health research, develops policies on nursing, coordinates training programmes for nurses and monitors the midwifery service scheme in collaboration with NPHCDA.
The department of Food and Drugs Services formulates national policies, guidelines and strategies on food and drugs, and ensures ethical delivery of pharmaceutical services nationwide. The department sponsors the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and acts as regulator through the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria and the Institute of Public Analyst of Nigeria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control is a federal agency under the Ministry. The agency was established in 2011 with the assistance of the US Centers for Disease Control. Furthermore, there's the Health System Strengthening division whose mandate is to plan for human resource development in health.

## Functions and objectives

* Development of plans (rolling, medium and perspective) and preparation of budgets.
* Monitoring and evaluation of programmes, projects and plans implementation.
* Serve as secretariat to the National Council on Health.
* Conduct research into the sectors over which the ministry has jurisdiction, in collaboration with other departments and agencies, institutions and parastatals.
* Conduct research into the internal organizational, operational and management modalities of the ministry.
* Routine collection and processing of data and statistics relating to the ministry and the health sector.
* Liaison with relevant bodies outside the ministry.
* Coordinating, tracking and assessing MDG projects and programmes.
* Planning and coordination of human resources for health development.
* International health and resource mobilization.
* Implementation of World Bank/African Development Bank Health Systems Development Project.
* Coordination of National Health Management Information System.
* Serves as secretariat of the National Health Research Ethics Committee.

## Past and present ministers

There have been 25 ministers appointed since 1957.
* Ayotunde Rosiji (1957 to1959)
* Waziri Ibrahim (1959 to 1964)
* Moses Majekodunmi (1964 to 1966)
* Joseph Adetoro (1967 to 1971)
* Josiah Okezie (1971 to 1972)
* Aminu Kano (1972 to 1974)
* Gen. Emmanuel Abisoye (1974 to 1979)
* Daniel Ugwu (1979 to 1983)
* Vice Admiral Patrick Koshoni (1984 to 1985)
* Emmanuel Nsan (1985 to 1985)
* Olikoye Ransome-Kuti (1985 to 1993)
* Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi (1993 to 1993)
* Dalhatu Tafida (1993 to 1995)
* Ihechukwu Madubuike (1995 to 1997)
* Rear Admiral Jubril Ayinla (1997 to 1998)
* Timothy Menakaya (1999 to 2001)
* Alphonsus Nwosu (2001 to 2003)
* Eyitayo Lambo (2003 to 2007)
* Adenike Grange (2007 to 2008)
* Babatunde Osotimehin (2008 to 2010)
* Onyebuchi Chukwu (2010 to 2014)
* Haliru Al-Hassan (2015 to 2015)
* Issac Adewole (2015 to 2019)
* Osagie Ehanire (2019 to 2023)
* Muhammad Ali Pate (since August 2023)