Betta Edu: The Harvard Product who could be Minister of State for Health, By Lawal Dahiru Mamman
By Lawal Dahiru Mamman
Every development in the political space of the country is subject to thorough analysis by political experts and other citizens, the ministerial nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is no exception.
Dr. Betta Edu, who is one of the youngest ministerial nominees, is a Harvard product and medical doctor by profession who has dabbled into politics, made the list of potential ministers, pending scrutiny by the Senate.
Dr. Edu, a result-driven health policy and management expert with over twelve years’ experience in team leadership, health policy design and implementation at national and state levels may be the successor of Hon. Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, the former Minister of State for Health.
She was born on the 27th of October 1986, and originates from Ibalebo village in Abi Local Government Area, Cross River State. She completed her First school leaving Certificate and Common entrance in 1995 at Charles Walker International Nursery and Primary School, Calabar.
She then advanced to and completed her secondary education at Federal Government Girls College, after which she proceeded to University of Calabar where she obtained her first degree in Medicine and Surgery.
In 2012, she obeyed the clarion call of one-year compulsory youth service at the Cross River State Camp Clinic. She was a Medical Officer at the Government House Clinic as the Team Lead, Personal Physician to First Family, attached to Wife of the Governor.
She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health for Developing Countries from London School Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a master’s degree in Public Health in Developing Countries from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Doctor of Public Health from Texila American University.
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Dr. Betta Edu in furtherance of her professional and leadership capabilities through education in different executive programmes obtained certificates from renowned institutions as the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States of America where she was certified as a Leadership Strategist for Evolving Health Care Executives in the year 2018.
Furthermore, in 2021, she became a Fellow of the Royal School of Public Health, London, United Kingdom. In 2022, she became a Fellow of the African Institute of Public Health Professionals, Ain Shams University Cairo, Egypt, a fellow of the African Institute of Public Health Professionals and Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, United Kingdom as well as others from the University of Washington, and University Virginia in the United States of America among others.
Despite enormous background in the field of medicine, the young medical doctor delved into the political terrain which is not the favourite of many in her profession and eventually emerged the youngest person to become the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In 2015, Edu became the youngest person to be appointed Special Adviser to the then Executive Governor of Cross River State Benedict Ayade on Community and Primary Healthcare.
Before her emergence as the National Women Leader of the APC, she served as Cross River State Commissioner for Health and National Chairman of Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum in 2022.
Dr. Edu’s brilliance and commitment to improving healthcare delivery in her home state was the basis of her appointment in 2020 as Chairman, Cross River State COVID-19 Taskforce, during the heat of the pandemic.
The stellar career of Dr. Edu both as medical doctor and political leader are just the right tools required for the President to crown her the next Minister of State for Health. The ball, for now, is still in the court of the Senate.
