Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been a very busy man in the last three weeks. He’s removed fuel subsidy, appointed a Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, suspended Nigeria’s bad boy, Meffy, as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) governor, and signed the Student Loan Bill, amongst other things.
According to the constitution, the number of Special Advisers (SAs) appointed by the president to assist with his duties is prescribed by a resolution of the National Assembly. And on June 6, 2023, the Senate approved Tinubu’s request to appoint 20 special advisers, but this request didn’t state the specific names of the SAs.
However, on June 15, a list of eight out of the 20 special advisers was released. These SAs for the next four years will be instrumental in ensuring the success of this administration. The appointees are:
- Dele Alake; Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communications and Strategy
- Wale Edun, Special Adviser, Monetary Policies
- Olu Verheijen; Special Adviser, Energy
- Yau Darazo, Special Adviser, Political and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Salma Ibrahim Anas, Special Adviser, Health
- John Ugochukwu Uwajumogu, Special Adviser, Industry, Trade and Investment
- Nuhu Ribadu; Special Adviser, Security
- Zacchaeus Adedeji. Special Adviser, Revenue
These new appointees are all experts in their various fields; however, in this article, we’ll spotlight the two women who made this list: Olu Verheijen (SA, Energy) and Salma Ibrahim Anas (SA, Health).
Who’s Olu Verheijen?
Olu Verheijen has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Long University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. At 46, she’s one of the youngest people on the list of special advisers, but she has proven to be a force in the field.
With about 20 years of experience in the energy and power sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa, she’s the founder and managing director of Latimer Energy. She is also an Advisory Council Member of the US Millennium Corporation for Energy at Growth Hub.
This isn’t the first time Olu Verheijen will serve the Nigerian government, as she has supported the formulation of policies and reforms to promote investment in gas infrastructure for domestic markets. She was Shell’s finance lead on the negotiations for Nigeria’s first World Bank Partial Risk Guarantee.
Additionally, she gives back to the people through her BFA Foundation, which offers scholarships for career advancement, particularly in the energy sector, for women and other disadvantaged groups.
Who’s Salma Ibrahim Anas?
Salma Anas, aged 57, has an exceptional record in the Nigerian health sector with over 25 years of experience. Born and raised in Maiduguri, she’s the daughter of a former police officer and deputy governor of Borno state, the late Ibrahim Anas.
Salma received her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Maiduguri in 1989. Since then, she has served in both the public and private health sectors and has been instrumental in policy formulation and developing national, regional, and international health programmes. For instance, she has worked towards improving access to quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, and elderly health and nutrition services.
Some of the appointments previously held by Salma include:
- Director of Family Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health .
- Director of Special Projects & National Coordinator Health Sector Humanitarian Crisis at the Federal Ministry of Health.
- Commissioner for Health, Borno state, 2011-2015.
- Assistant Representative/Head of Reproductive Health/HIV, United Nations Population Fund, Nigeria.
- National Team Leader for the Department for International Development – funded Maternal Newborn and Child Health project.
These two women have a wealth of experience and the expertise needed to serve Nigeria in their new roles. And more importantly, their remarkable achievements so far make them powerful role models for young girls and women in Nigeria.
