ICPPA Positions Nigeria as Leading PEN-Plus Advocate, Media Coverage Shows
Members of the Nigerian delegation to the second International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa gather for an official portrait behind a row of opening ceremony presenters, from left: Dr. Alex Gasasira, acting WHO representative to Nigeria; Dr. Akpaka Kalu, the WHO representative to Ethiopia; Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Nigeria’s minister of state for health and social welfare; Dr. Olubunmi Aribeana, director of food and drug services for the Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; and Dr. Gene Bukhman, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network. (Photo: Courtesy of the WHO Regional Office for Africa)
The second International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa positioned Nigeria as a leading advocate for PEN-Plus across the African continent, media coverage of the July conference showed.
“The federal government has called on African nations to intensify collaboration and accelerate the implementation of the PEN-Plus strategy to address the rising burden of severe non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on the continent,” journalist Racheal Abujah wrote for Science Nigeria. “The appeal was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, during his keynote address at the second International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA 2025), held in Abuja.”
Radio Nigeria, a federal channel that calls itself Africa’s largest radio network, also quoted Dr. Salako in its coverage, citing the minister’s comments on how the conference helped spur Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen care for NCDs.
“Nigeria has developed a National Policy and Strategic Plan of Action for the prevention and control of NCDs,” Dr. Salako said. “In addition, the PEN-Plus program is being implemented at the primary healthcare level, while the PEN-Plus pilot initiative, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), is focused on strengthening secondary healthcare facilities through trained personnel, the supply of essential medicines, and improved medical infrastructure.”
Dr. Neil Gupta, the Network’s senior director of policy, noted that this year’s ICPPA showed how PEN-Plus is becoming increasingly “mainstream” at the country level, not only in Nigeria but across the continent and especially in ministries of health and WHO country offices.
Coverage of ICPPA in Nigeria reflected that growth, and included:
“Fast Track PEN-Plus Strategy for Severe NCDs, Nigeria Urges Africa” (Science Nigeria)
“Nigeria Calls for Increased Action on Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa” (Tribune Online)
“Nigeria Champions Fight Against Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa” (Radio Nigeria)
“Nigeria Seeks Stronger Commitment to Combat Non-Communicable Diseases” (The Whistler)
“FG reaffirms commitment to tackling severe NCDs in Nigeria” (Nigerian Pilot)