To serve as a Counsellor at the @OneYoungWorld Summit is to stand among a distinguished fellowship of leaders devoted to guiding, mentoring, and amplifying the next generation of changemakers. The Counsellor community reflects the very spirit of One Young World, bringing together voices from government, business, civil society, sport, and the arts in a shared commitment to principled, purpose-driven leadership. It is a reminder that true leadership is not ownership, but stewardship, renewed each time we invest in the growth of others.

The Counsellor Engagement Dinner remains one of the Summit’s most cherished traditions, an evening which cultivates reflection, dialogue, and collaboration among Counsellors, founders, partners, and host city officials. In Munich, this gathering continues a legacy of meaningful exchange, where ideas flow freely across generations, shared values are strengthened, and new alliances for collective action are formed.

Beyond the plenary and mentorship sessions, the role of a Counsellor stands as a lasting pillar of One Young World’s vision. It is a continual commitment to listen with intention, to open pathways for rising leaders, and to ensure that inspiration leads to tangible progress. Within these encounters, both formal and informal, mentorship becomes partnership, and collaboration grows into measurable change.

As the Summit continues to unfold at the International Congress Center Messe München, I am honoured to be part of the Counsellor community which reinforces that leadership finds its highest expression in generosity, integrity, and the shared commitment to empower others.

#OYW2025
#WellbeingForAll ...

As we begin the month of November, we also enter Prematurity Awareness Month, a period dedicated to advancing global understanding, research, and responsive care for the millions of infants born preterm each year.

In Nigeria, around one in eight babies is born preterm, among the highest rates globally, contributing to nearly 100,000 newborn deaths annually from complications of prematurity. This persistent challenge to maternal and newborn survival highlights the importance of strengthening health systems, improving antenatal education, and expanding access to quality, respectful midwifery-led care.

Through my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation’s MamaCare360 framework and frontline programming, our WBFA midwives deliver continuous education and skilled support across antenatal, delivery, and postnatal stages, empowering mothers with knowledge and ensuring that preterm and low-birth-weight infants receive evidence-based, life-saving interventions. Complementing this, the #MamaCare360 #NICUPlus programme strengthens lactation and breastfeeding support for mothers of premature infants, fostering optimal nutrition and bonding during critical early days of life, while Project Oscar – Light for Life, a Neonatal Jaundice Screening, Treatment, and Kernicterus Prevention Programme, facilitates early detection and management of jaundice to prevent avoidable complications and lifelong disability.

As we observe this month, let us continue to advance the mission of a world where every birth is attended by skilled personnel, every mother is supported by a strong health system, and every newborn, however early their arrival, is given the opportunity to survive and to thrive.

#PrematurityAwarenessMonth 
#EveryBabyCounts
#WellbeingForAll ...

Yesterday marked the birthday of Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of the Republic of Liberia, Nobel Peace Laureate, and @WHO Goodwill Ambassador for the Health Workforce.

As Africa’s first democratically elected woman Head of State, President Sirleaf emobodies the highest ideals of leadership, courage, wisdom, and a devotion to justice, peace, and the advancement of women and girls. Her legacy continues to illuminate the path for generations of women across Africa and the world.

With warm wishes for continued strength, fulfilment, and grace in the year ahead.

📸: @BanKimoonFoundation Reception & Dinner #UNGA80 September 2025 ...

I was pleased to engage with the global virtual launch of the 2025 Global Report of @TheLancetGroup Countdown on Health and Climate Change yesterday, where world leaders and experts came together around a truth that defines our shared future, that the health of people and the health of the planet are inseparable.

This year’s analysis, prepared by 128 experts across 71 institutions and @UnitedNations agencies, presents the most comprehensive assessment to date of how climate change is reshaping human survival. The findings are stark, heat-related mortality has risen by nearly a quarter since the 1990s, as wildfires, droughts, vector-borne diseases, and food insecurity intensify.

At my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, we witness this intersection daily across the continuum of care, where environmental disruption deepens maternal, neonatal, and child health risks. The climate emergency has become the defining determinant of global public health, demanding responses that unite science, systems, and society.

The launch featured distinguished contributions from @DrTedros, Rt Hon @HelenClarkNZ, Rt Hon Julia Gillard, Dr Marina Romanello, and Professor Stella Hartinger, followed by an insightful panel with Dr Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, Dr Mariângela Simão, Secretary of Health at Brazil’s Ministry of Health, Dr Raji Tajudeen, Deputy Director General @AfricaCDC, Laura Clarke @ClientEarth_, and Dr Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist @WHO, who together highlighted that advancing planetary health is both a scientific and moral imperative.

As we look toward @COP30noBrasil, this report stands as both a compass and a conscience, urging leaders to place health at the heart of climate negotiations. I commend all contributors for their leadership in aligning science, governance, and global action toward a healthier, more sustainable world.

#LancetClimate25
#OneHealth
#WellbeingForAll ...

Today, on the @UnitedNations International Day of Care and Support, I am reminded that the strength of a just and sustainable world depends on how we value and organise care. The @WellbeingAfrica Foundation stands with the UN mission to uphold the rights of all who provide and receive care, through gender-responsive and inclusive systems that advance equity, stability, and development.

Across the world, the care economy remains the silent force sustaining households, communities, and nations, powered largely by women’s unpaid or undervalued labour. Women perform 76% of all unpaid care work globally and, within paid care sectors, continue to earn 24% less than men. This imbalance demands deliberate investment, reform, and recognition of care as both an economic and social priority.

Care is also a continuum that begins with the self. When individuals are equipped and empowered to care for their own health and wellbeing, through access, awareness, and agency, they strengthen the broader systems of care. Educating, empowering and informing self-care, as recognised by the @WHO is an institutional responsibility and a public good that reduces burdens on health systems and amplifies collective resilience.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa is committed to a modern care economy which reduces and redistributes dependencies, while ensuring that nurses, midwives, community health workers, and domestic workers are protected, and represented in decision-making.

Investing in care, in all its forms, is investing in humanity’s progress. When we value care, from the self to the system, we create societies that are more equitable, resilient, and truly thriving.

#CareEconomy
#SelfCare
#WellbeingEconomy
#WellbeingForAll ...

Today, on @UnitedNations Day, I reflect upon eight decades of multilateral cooperation grounded in the Charter of the United Nations and its continued vision for peace, human rights, social progress, and improved standards of life for all peoples. Since its establishment, the United Nations has provided a legitimate and universal platform through which collective challenges can be addressed, and through which a rules-based international order can be strengthened.

In an era characterised by complex health inequities, demographic transitions, climate pressures, and technological transformation, the work of the United Nations continues to demonstrate the necessity of global cooperation. Processes such as the UN80 initiative and the Pact for the Future signal a renewed commitment to adapt and reinforce institutions so that they remain responsive, coordinated, and effective in delivering outcomes that advance dignity, resilience, and opportunity across all regions.

The @WellbeingAfrica Foundation aligns its mission with this multilateral vision by contributing to stronger health systems, community engagement, and equitable access to essential services. By prioritising evidence-based approaches, capacity-building, and partnerships, we translate high-level policy frameworks into meaningful frontline improvements for women, children, families, and health professionals.

As the United Nations advances its agenda for the decade ahead, #WBFA, holding Special Consultative Status with the @UN_ECOSOC, remains committed to constructive engagement and the sustained provision of solutions that strengthen national systems and community-level delivery. By doing so, we contribute to a future in which development is inclusive, governance is participatory, and progress is realised through effective and shared responsibility.

#UnitedNationsDay
#UNAt80 #UNCharter
#HealthForAll
#WellbeingForAll
#FrontlineFriday ...

On World Polio Day, under the theme One Day. One Focus. Ending Polio, I join @RotaryInternational and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in recognising the continued importance of maintaining resilient immunisation systems. While substantial progress has been made, the persistence of variant polioviruses highlights that eradication requires consistent routine vaccination and sustained environmental and community surveillance.

The #GPEI Strategy 2022 to 2026 sets out clear priorities for the concluding phase of this effort, including the prevention of outbreaks, the integration of polio programme assets with essential health services, and continued investment in monitoring to ensure timely response. These priorities depend upon effective coordination, accurate record-keeping, and public confidence in vaccination at the household level.

Through my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, I continue to support the strengthening of routine immunisation by advancing frontline capacities. Our programming and national impact strategy equips nurses, midwives, and primary healthcare workers with the tools, training, and facility-based support required to deliver vaccinations reliably and to address service gaps, while fostering community trust and capacity. Their daily work remains central to ensuring that every eligible child completes their vaccine schedule.

Reliable health records are also essential. The Universal Child Health Record Book provides a consistent reference, enabling the tracking of vaccination status, growth indicators, and follow-up requirements. This continuity tool reduces missed opportunities, supports timely intervention where delays occur, and reinforces accountability throughout the care pathway.

On this occasion, I emphasise the value of coordinated delivery, trusted information, and consistent practice. It is through these steady, foundational efforts that a polio-free future will be secured.

#WorldPolioDay
#EndPolio
#WellbeingForAll 
#FrontlineFriday ...

Remembering With Love and Gratitude.

I remember with deep love my dear cousin, Bimbo Ojora Babalola, and our beloved friend and brother, Alhaji Waziri Kyari Mohammed, whose lives were so tragically lost in the 22nd October 2005 Bellview Aviation crash. And just a day later, our nation mourned the passing of Her Excellency, Stella Obasanjo (née Abebe), our graceful and compassionate First Lady.

20 years on, time has moved forward, yet their lights continue to shine in our hearts, glowing over our memories, and illuminate the lives they touched with grace, warmth, and purpose.

As we pause to honour them, I trust in Almighty God that the blessings of their legacies, the kindness, the laughter, the courage, and the inspiration they left behind, will always be beautifully reflected in their families.

May their souls continue to rest in perfect peace.

Amen. ...

On #WorldMenopauseDay2025, I am reminded of a conversation that continues to resonate. In 2021, I joined the First Global Hormonal Health Webinar, convened for @Vodafone’s worldwide workforce, in dialogue with Andrew Dunnett, Director of the @VodafoneFoundation. We explored how menopause and hormonal transitions are too often treated as private matters, when in truth they profoundly intersect with work, dignity and life-stage inclusion.

That conversation helped catalyse Vodafone’s Global Menopause Commitment, announced in March 2021, which recognised that nearly two-thirds of women experiencing symptoms reported an impact on their work, and many felt unable to speak about it. The commitment introduced company-wide training, awareness for managers, and a dedicated Vodafone Menopause Toolkit, supporting colleagues through menopause, perimenopause and other hormonal transitions.

Since then, Vodafone has advanced this leadership through its Life Stages Inclusion Policy, the Cycles of Life peer community, and partnerships with MenoHealth to deliver continued education and wellbeing sessions. By making its toolkit freely available, Vodafone set a new standard for global employers committed to empathy, equity and evidence-based support.

At 61, and through my work at the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, I know hormonal health is not solely a medical issue, it is a matter of equity and opportunity. Supporting women through every stage of life strengthens wellbeing, productivity and the fabric of society itself.

#HormonalHealth
#WellbeingAtWork
#WellbeingForAll ...

On World Menopause Day 2025, as global attention turns to this universal yet long-overlooked stage of women’s lives, we are reminded that the strength of a health system lies in how it supports women across the full arc of their biological continuum, from adolescence and fertility to menopause and healthy ageing.

The International Menopause Society’s 2025 White Paper on Lifestyle Medicine offers a rigorous and timely evidence base showing that lifestyle-centred interventions, in nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, mental wellbeing, social connection, and the avoidance of harmful substances, meaningfully reduce symptoms and long-term risks of cardiovascular, metabolic, and skeletal disease. Its emphasis on equity, accessibility, and holistic models of care reflects an evolution in women’s health that resonates with the mission of my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation and our global impact partners.

During #UNGA80, as a Bayer Sustainability Council Member, I welcomed the @UNFPA × @BayerOfficial launch of Spotlight: Building Menopause-Friendly Workplaces Across The Private Sector, advancing practical solutions for menopausal wellbeing, self-care, and workforce inclusion. Bayer is driving this agenda through research, including the Elinzanetant programme for menopausal care, aligning women’s midlife health with the Sustainable Development Goals.

This year’s theme, Lifestyle Medicine and Menopause, highlights how multidisciplinary care rooted in lifestyle, culture, and self-care can transform wellbeing and truly honour women’s lived experience, affirming that investment in women’s health at every stage of life strengthens families, communities, and societies for generations to come.

#WorldMenopauseDay #LifestyleMedicine #MenopauseAwareness
#WellbeingForAll ...

I warmly welcome Dr Pavel Ursu, the new World Health Organization Representative and Head of Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria @WHONigeria, on the occasion of his assumption of office this week. His appointment comes at a moment of renewed purpose for Nigeria’s health sector, when the pursuit of universal, equitable, and sustainable care must be matched by principled leadership and enduring partnership among government, multilateral institutions, and civil society.

Having served with distinction across several WHO country offices and as Director of the Department of Delivery for Impact in Geneva, Dr Ursu brings both the depth of global experience and the sensitivity to national realities that this role demands. His career stands as a testament to evidence-based action, collaborative diplomacy, and measurable delivery for communities.

I am particularly encouraged by the priorities he has articulated, including sustainable health financing, strengthened primary health care, emergency preparedness, data and digital transformation, and the advancement of local manufacturing and innovation. These pillars are deeply relevant to Nigeria’s present health trajectory, and to the vision of a nation where every community has the capacity and confidence to drive its own wellbeing.

As the @WHOFoundation Global Health Ambassador and Founder-President of the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, a member of the @WHO Civil Society Commission, with a focus on empowering maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health through frontline midwifery, primary care, and community health promotion, I look forward to continued collaboration with Dr Ursu and the WHO Nigeria Country Office in advancing our shared vision of accountable and quality people-centred health for all.

#HealthForAll
#WellbeingForAll
#FrontlineFriday ...