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Adenike Grange is a paediatrician, professor, consultant, author and former Nigerian Minister in charge of the Federal Ministry of Health. Appointed on 25 July 2007, she was the first female Minister of Health in Nigeria. During her time in office, she was dedicated to improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria, reducing maternity deaths and reducing diseases among vulnerable groups. She was arrested by the order of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for handling 300 million naira of unspent funds. She was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and stood trial. She resigned from office on 26 March 2008.

Background

Adenike Grange attended high school in Lagos and then at St. Francis' College, Letchworth in the United Kingdom. From 1958 to 1964 she studied medicine at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She worked in Dudley Road Hospital in Birmingham before returning to Nigeria in 1965, where she continued working in Lagos hospitals. She returned to the UK in 1967 and became senior house officer (pediatrics) at the St Mary's Hospital for children, and obtained a Diploma in Child Health in 1969.In 1971 she joined the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. In 1978 she became a lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. She became a Senior Lecturer in 1981 and a professor in 1995.

Grange acted as a consultant to the Federal Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and USAID. She was WHO Adviser on the Reproductive Health Programme in Nigeria from 1993 to 1999. She is the author of over fifty scientific papers, mainly on diarrhoea nutritional conditions in children. She served as President of the International Pediatric Association. ln her long career, she became known as a strong voice in the fight to improve the children's health.

Minister of Health

On 25 July 2007, Grange was appointed the Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the first female Minister of Health.

On 9 November 2007, Grange gave the Lancet Lecture at the UCL Centre for International Health & Development.

She said, "There is enough in terms of knowledge initiatives, strategies, tools, drugs and treatment protocols to cure disease and prolong life, but the reality is that the systems designed to bring about these outcomes are inadequate at best or even non-existent which is a global problem". She described working in Nigeria to standardise approaches to health delivery and emulate best practice from other countries. Priorities included eradicating polio, controlling malaria, reducing maternal mortality, and reducing levels of disease in the most vulnerable groups.

In January 2008, at an event attended by the President's wife Turai Umar Musa Yar'Adua, Grange urged the first lady to draw national attention to the importance of the health related Millennium Development Goals. She called on the National Assembly to expedite passage of the national health bill, and called on the wives of State Governors to push for laws to promote the women and children's well-being.

Resignation and prosecution

In February 2008, Grange was arrested on the orders of President Umaru Yar'Adua over the handling of N300 millions of unspent funds in the 2007 budget and award. She was examined by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She claimed that she had been misadvised by her directors. The President had reportedly directed that all unspent money in the budget be returned but it was allegedly shared by officials of the Health Ministry as bonuses. In March 2008, President Yar'Adua accepted the resignation of Grange.

In March 2008, the Nigerian Medical Association (NEC) noted with deep regrets the developments that had culminated in the resignation of Grange. The INEC acknowledged the integrity, sincerity and commitment of Grange, her contributions to the care of millions of Nigerian Children and her efforts in her short stay at the Federal Ministry of Health.

In April 2008, an Abuja high court ordered that she be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, was also charged but did not appear in court.

In December 2009, a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja gave a unanimous verdict ordering that Grange should not stand further trial. She was discharged from facing prosecution and all charges were quashed.

Life after resignation

Grange went back fully into her commitment to promote maternal and child health as she took up the challenge of heading one of Nigeria's best Pediatric Hospitals, Otunba Tunwase National Pediatric Centre which she helped establish and has since been handed over to the University College Hospital, Ibadan as a way of upgrading the standards of the hospital. She introduced several development initiatives which has helped the hospital grow tremendously. One of the most prolific initiatives she introduced is the Local Health Insurance Scheme for the people of Ijebu Land who couldn't afford to pay for quality health and through this insurance scheme, several people in the community were able to access the services of the hospital.

She has since been very active through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and the Civil Society Platform on Health.

With the help of one of Nigeria's most famous Youth Activists and a youth development expert, Abayomi Mighty, she launched AdeGrange Child Foundation, an NGO committed to promoting the well-being of mothers and children through strategic advocacy programmes.

References

1. "Professor Adenike Grange" (PDF). World Health Organization. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
2. Pediatrics, American Academy of (1 September 2007). "Dr. Grange named Nigerian health minister". AAP News. 28 (9): 40. ISSN 1073-0397.
3. "Welcoming Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku". Nigeria Health Watch. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
4. "Article: Adenike Grange – Crusading for the African Child's Health". Women & Environments International Magazine Article. 1 October 2002. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
5. "ADENIKE GRANGE, THE MINISTER OF HEALTH". Paediatric Association of Nigeria. 12 November 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
6. "UCL Lancet Lecture: health reform in Nigeria". University College London. 12 November 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
7. Constance Ndubuisi-Enyali (29 January 2008). "Turai Yar 'Adua commits to saving women and children". Development Communications Network. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
8. Stanley Nkwazema, Kingsley Nwezeh (3 March 2008). "Yar'Adua Moves Against Health Minister". This Day. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
9. Ben Agande and Inalegwu Shuaibu (26 March 2008). "Health Ministers Quit". The Vanguard. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
10. Daniel Idonor and Sylvester Akor (26 March 2008). "Fired! Yar'Adua Sacks Health Minister Over N300m Scam". Daily Champion. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
11. "COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE EMERGENCY NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING OF THE NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NMA) HELD AT PARKVIEW HOTEL, ABUJA ON 29TH MARCH, 2008". Nigerian Medical Association. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
12. Godwin Tsa Abuja (9 April 2008). "N300m scam: Grange, Aduku, Ogandi, others docked, remanded in EFCC custody". The Daily Sun. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
13. Ise-Oluwa Ige (11 December 2009). "N300m scam: Appeal Court acquits ex-Health Minister, Grange". The Daily Vanguard. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
14. "Vanguard Personality Award: Lifetime Achievement Award – Professor Nike Grange".
15. "GAVI Board members: NGO". www.vaccinealliance.org. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
16. Udeme, Edoamaowo (26 September 2017). "Indigenous funding, key to effective health, economic development". Vanguard. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
17. AZOMA CHIKWE (3 January 2012). "OTNPC handed over to UCH". NFB NEWS. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

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• Living people
• Nigerian pediatricians
• Health ministers of Nigeria
• Nigerian women medical doctors
• People educated at St. Francis' College, Letchworth
• Alumni of the University of St Andrews
• Academic staff of the University of Lagos
• Nigerian women academics
• Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom
• 20th-century Nigerian medical doctors
• 21st-century Nigerian medical doctors
• Physicians from Lagos
• Women government ministers of Nigeria
• 20th-century women physicians
• 21st-century women physicians
• Nigerian consultants