Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria (RTSL Nigeria), a global public health organization dedicated to preventing epidemics and cardiovascular diseases.
The appointment was officially announced on Friday by RTSL Nigeria, which opened its Abuja office in 2022 and works closely with governments and communities to combat critical health threats.
Reacting to the development, Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, welcomed Fashola’s inclusion, noting his longstanding commitment to public service. “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Fashola to the RTSL Nigeria Board of Directors. He has demonstrated a commitment to improving lives and livelihoods in Nigeria through more than two decades of public service,” Frieden said.
Fashola served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing under the Buhari administration and was Lagos State Governor from 2007 to 2015. He previously held the role of Chief of Staff in the state. Notably, he played a key role in coordinating Nigeria’s successful response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, an effort that earned him global recognition, including the Stephen J. Solarz Award from the International Crisis Group.
In his remarks, Fashola expressed appreciation for the appointment and affirmed his dedication to the organization’s objectives. “I look forward to helping continue the progress in stopping preventable deaths from cardiovascular diseases and infectious disease outbreaks,” he stated.
Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, Dean of the Faculty of Population Health Sciences at University College London and a fellow board member, lauded Fashola’s addition to the board. He described the former minister as a valuable asset, citing his extensive governance experience and leadership during public health crises.
