SFH announces leadership appointments to drive growth, strengthen healthcare programmes

The board described the Donor-Funded Portfolio Directorate as a foundational pillar of SFH’s mission, scale and impact across communities served by the organisation in Nigeria and other African countries over time.

It added that changing community needs required expansion into new growth platforms aligned with improved health outcomes, organisational resilience and sustainable healthcare systems strengthening efforts throughout Africa’s evolving public health and development landscape.

According to the statement, the new platforms would focus on health financing, commodity access, supply chain systems, workforce development, leadership training and market-based financing solutions supporting healthcare delivery systems across African communities.

The board said the platforms were designed to extend SFH’s legacy beyond programme implementation toward integrated and future-ready solutions capable of improving lives and strengthening healthcare systems across African countries and communities.

To deepen technical leadership, the board approved the appointment of two Co-Executive Directors to jointly lead the organisation’s Donor-Funded Portfolio Directorate and strengthen nationwide programme implementation, coordination and accountability across healthcare interventions.

Mr Emeka Okafor was appointed Executive Director, Population, Health and Community Systems, while Abdulsamad Salihu assumed the role of Executive Director, Infectious and Integrated Diseases under the newly approved structure.

“Both leaders bring more than 20 years of experience managing and leading large-scale donor-funded health initiatives across Nigeria’s health sector and development landscape over the years,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the Population, Health and Community Systems portfolio would oversee reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent healthcare, nutrition, community systems and primary healthcare strengthening interventions across Nigeria.

It added that the Infectious and Integrated Diseases portfolio would oversee HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, pandemic preparedness, integrated disease control and broader health security priorities within healthcare systems across Nigeria and Africa.

The board stated that the dual leadership structure reflected the scale, complexity and strategic importance of SFH’s donor-funded operations while strengthening accountability, programme integration, specialised leadership and execution capacity across interventions nationwide.

The board also confirmed leadership appointments across emerging platforms, including Mr Dennis Aizobu as Managing Director, SFH Access to Health GTE, and Dr Jennifer Anyanti as Managing Director, SFH Advisory and Professional Services.

It further announced the appointment of Dayyabu Yusuf as Managing Director of RevoHealth HMO Ltd to strengthen healthcare financing systems and support sustainable market-based healthcare solutions across communities and institutions nationwide.

Commenting on the appointments, Board President of SFH, Prof. Ekanem Braide, said the organisation would preserve and strengthen the legacy of its donor-funded programmes while building innovative and sustainable growth platforms.

“The board’s vision is clear: to preserve and strengthen the tremendous legacy of our donor-funded programmes while deliberately building new platforms that deepen measurable impact at communities, build Africa resilience, and secure sustainable health outcomes.

“These appointments bring the leadership depth required to manage both priorities, continued excellence in programme delivery and the growth of innovative vehicles that can scale sustainable health outcomes across Africa,” she said.

Responding to the appointments, Idogho described the development as a defining moment for the organisation and its long-term vision for sustainable healthcare systems and innovation-driven programme implementation across African communities and institutions.

“This is a defining moment for SFH. We are strengthening the core programmes that built our legacy, while simultaneously investing in new platforms that will shape our future.

“Our ambition is to operate at the intersection of public health impact, innovation, and sustainability, delivering results today while building systems that endure tomorrow,” Idogho added while outlining the organisation’s future direction.

The board said the appointments came as global development increasingly shifts toward country-led financing and implementation models emphasising accountability, sustainability and stronger system-based approaches to healthcare delivery across developing economies worldwide.(NAN)