HFN boss, Omatseye emerges 1st vice president of West African body

The President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Mrs. Clare Omatseye, has emerged as the First Vice President of the West African Private Healthcare Federation (WAPHF), a regional platform that will create unity and a greater voice for advocacy and improvement of health outcomes across the West African region through the Private Health Sector.

Omatseye is the Managing Director of JNC International Limited. She graduated with honours from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, with a B.Pharm and has an MBA from the University of Navarra (IESE) Barcelona, Spain.

Eleven out of 15 countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region came together in Dakar, Senegal on July 27 and 28, 2016, to commence the drive towards the establishment of the WAPHF.

HFN is an apolitical, non-partisan, not for profit coalition of Nigerian private healthcare sector stakeholders whose aim is to speak with a unified voice for the purpose of improving the Nigerian health sector through advocacy.

Nigeria was represented by the HFN being the umbrella body of private sector healthcare businesses and organizations. The inaugural event had in attendance various leading Healthcare Institutions from across West Africa, representatives of ECOWAS and the West African Health Organization (WAHO), the Minister of Health for Senegal and Deputy Minister of Health for Gambia, the President of the East Africa Healthcare Federation, Mr. Amit Thakar amongst various other notable figures.

President of the HFN, Mrs. Clare Omatseye, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Itunu Akinware, and the Executive Secretary of Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN), Barrister Ngozi Nduka-Uba were present to represent Nigeria at this history-making event.

According to a press statement from HFN, “Following an election of the general assembly, Federation officials were elected with Dr. Ardo Ba of Senegal emerging as the President of the Federation, Mrs. Clare Omatseye was also elected as the 1st Vice President of the Federation and Mali emerging as the 2nd Vice President of the Federation.

“The elected officials will serve a two-year term after which the 1st Vice President automatically rises to the office of the President of the Federation.”

Omatseye said the vision of HFN is to improve healthcare indices and create an environment where Nigerians can receive affordable and accessible healthcare of the highest quality. HFN is independent of any governmental/political ideology, economic interest, religious affiliation; and are mainly funded by membership and volitional donations from well-meaning Nigerians.