I am delighted to congratulate a dear friend, Dr Dupe Elebute-Odunsi MBBS (Lagos), MD (Lond), FRCP, FRCPath, Co-Founder, Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre, Founder-Chair, Women in Health Care Network Nigeria, and all the Founding Members of WIHCN which was launched yesterday in Lagos.

Globally and at home in Nigeria, 70% of the health workforce is powered by our female gender, yet less than 35% of health leadership roles are held by women, thus, I heartfully welcome WIHCN’s encouraging vision to #connect, #inform and #inspire women in the healthcare industry in Nigeria to become the best they can be individually, and in the long term, positively impacting the delivery of healthcare in our beloved country.

I look forward to WIHCN’s future impact in challenging the obstacles of women attaining and succeeding in leadership roles, gender disparity in obtaining financial support for business ventures, and then building focused mentorship programs to encourage the return and retention of our talented younger generation to pursue their health sector careers here at home in Nigeria.

Joining the Honourable Coordinating Minister For Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate CON, Dr Salma Ibrahim-Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Uju Rochas-Anwukah – Special Assistant on Public Health, Office of the Vice President, Special Guests of Honour, Dr Olajide Idris and Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa OON, Chair, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission, stakeholders and supporters in observing the launch, I extended the best wishes of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa to all WIHCN Members as the network initiates and pursues it’s warmly anticipated goals