Muntaqa Umar-sadiq Emerge WEF 2016 Young Global Leader

Muntaqa Umar-sadiq, has been announced the 2016 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is an international organization for public-private cooperation committed to improving the state of the world.

By this selection, the 2016 Young Global Leader joins a community of past Young Global Leader (YGL) honourees that include David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Chelsea Clinton, Board member of Clinton Foundation; Larry Page, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Google, USA; Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Facebook, among others.

Klaus Schwab and John Dutton, Executive Chairman and Head respectively of the Forum of YGL in a statement explained that the honour bestowed each year by the WEF recognizes and acknowledges the most outstanding young leaders, under the age of 40, from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

Muntaqa Umar-sadiq is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, England and Imperial College School of Medicine in London, and also a holder of Chartered Alternatives Investment Analyst (CAIAI) charter.

He is currently the CEO of the Private Sector Health Alliance, and prior to this position, he was the Senior Technical Advisor to the former Minister of State for Health in Nigeria, Muhammad Ali Pate and commenced his career as a healthcare M & A investment banker at Morgan Stanley in the UK where he focused on the Healthcare & Pharmaceutical sector.

Together with business and public sector leaders in Nigeria, including Aliko Dangote, President/CEO, Dangote group; Muhammad Ali Pate; Jim Ovia, chairman, Zenith Bank; Aig Imoukhuede, President, Nigerian Stock Exchange; Kelechi Ohiri of HSDF and other corporate leaders, Umar-sadiq has led a pioneering work that has developed a Private Sector Health Alliance.

The pioneering work has also catalyzed a model convergence platform for leveraging private sector innovation, capabilities and impact investments to complement government’s efforts in reaching millions of women and children in Nigeria to advance health outcomes.

His selection and recognition by WEF as a 2016 Young Global Leader are anchored on his record of professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through leadership and, according to Schwab and Dutton, as an honouree, Muntaqa Umar-sadiq has been invited to become an active community member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders for a period of five years.

According to WEF:

“The community forms a unique global network of peers from diverse backgrounds and fields with a highly visible opportunity to significantly impact world affairs and shape the global agenda.

Your five year experience is accompanied by a community manager representing the Forum of YGL who will identify unique and personalized opportunities for you to engage.”

Nigeria: EIU Democracy Index 2015

Nigeria’s rating in global democracy and governance has recorded a boost from 121 positions in 2014 to 108 last year according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s, EIU Democracy Index 2015.

The EIU is an independent business within the UK based The Economist Group. The EIU Democracy Index measures the state of democracy in 167 countries, of which 166 are sovereign states and 165 are UN member states.

The index is also based on 60 indicators grouped in five different categories measuring pluralism, civil liberties, and political culture.

The report said the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) made scant democratic progress since the Democracy Index debut in 2006, with the indicators of democracy improving from around 20 per decade in 1960–2000, the number of successful “coups from within” dropping dramatically in the 2000s, and regular elections becoming commonplace.

Mercy Torkwase Iyortyer Emerge NIQS First Female President

Mercy Torkwase Iyortyer (FNIQS) has emerged as the 23rd and first ever female president of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) at the 26th biennial conference and general meeting of the Institute.

Mercy Torkwase Iyortyer’s appointment coincided with the inauguration of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors during the five-day conference during which the professional body x-rayed the theme “Politics, Policies and National Development – The Role of Professionals”.

Ms. Iyortyer took over from the immediate past president, Murtala Aliyu, who successfully piloted the affairs of the Institute in the last two years.

Festus Dauda Chairs World Radio Communications [2015]

Engr. Festus Dauda of Nigeria has officially assumed duty as the Chairman of World Radio Communications (WRC) in Geneva, Swizerland.

Festus Dauda, becomes the first African to assume the exalted position in the 150 years of the Council. Nigeria had earlier in the week became the first African country to head the World Radio Communications (WRC) Council, an arm of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).