Get Guardian on GoogleAfter over two decades of massive transformation and unprecedented growth, Professor Prosper Okonkwo bowed out as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Nigeria’s leading HIV/AIDS prevention and public health institutions strengthening organisation.
Okonkwo, during the 25th anniversary of the organisation in Abuja in May this year, had hinted that he would be stepping down as the CEO by the end of September. Okonkwo is an academic to the core. It was his first calling and it would not be surprising if he is returning there.
Okonkwo had joined APIN as a project manager in 2004 and became its pioneer CEO in 2007. His tenure spanned the organisation’s development into an independent Nigerian institution working with government, universities and international development partners.
It could be recalled that APIN was a project of the Harvard School of Public Health initiative supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It became an independent non-governmental organisation in 2007 and subsequently assumed direct responsibility for programmes previously managed through Harvard. Its work has included HIV services supported by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After becoming a wholly registered Nigerian organisation with its own board and piloting its own affairs, APIN broadened its activities to include tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and health systems strengthening. Its programmes have supported health facilities through laboratory development, workforce training and improved information systems, alongside clinical services and community interventions. It could also be recalled that under Okonkwo, the organisation moved into its untra-modern corporate headquarters in Abuja which is full of positive ambience and equipped with the best working tools modern working environments are known for.
Okonkwo’s contributions to public health also earned him the Health Activism Award at the 2023 BudgIT Active Citizens Awards, where he was the inaugural recipient in that category.
Even despite undeniable growth and positive strides under Okonkwo, a loyal servant has to leave one day and nature, they say, abhors vacuum. And it was not surprising that the Board of the organisation did not waste time in approving the appointment of Dr. Jay Osi Samuels as the new CEO. Call him an insider, and one would not be missing the point. He was not only the Deputy Managing Director in charge of Programmes until his assumption of office as the new CEO, has spent over 20 years in the organisation. He has helped in setting up the structures, which included laboratories and regional offices which has made APIN the number one organisation amongst its peers.
Insiders within the organisation believed a better choice could not have been made better than Osi Samuels. Charismatic and an incredible team player, he has traveled extensively across all continents of the world which has honed his leadership skills. A top staff of the organisation who spoke to The Guardian on the condition of anonymity during the week said both senior and junior staff of the organisation were excited that Samuels was taking over as the new CEO.
His words: “Prof. Okonkwo did a marvelous job in APIN. He laid the foundation of what the organisation looks like today in terms of positive outlook and a wonderful working environment. But we are happier that someone like Dr. Jay (as he is fondly called) is taking over from him. He is not just a leader but a team player who always gets the best out of those around him. We are glad to have him as the new CEO.”
In a statement released by the organisation confirming Dr. Samuels as the new CEO, The Guardian learnt that he had previously served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Programmes after joining APIN in 2006. His appointment brings to the top role a member of the leadership team who has helped direct its public health programmes and institutional development.
The leadership transition follows APIN’s 25th anniversary celebrations and opens a new chapter for an indigenous organisation whose work has grown from HIV prevention and treatment to a broader range of public health interventions.
Samuels’ resume is not only impressive but shows someone who is an expert in his field. He holds a medical degree from the University of Ibadan and a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from Harvard T Chan School of Public Health.
Before joining APIN, he worked as a research associate at Harvard, studying the molecular epidemiology of HIV in Nigeria. His experience covers public health programme management, research and health systems strengthening.
As Deputy CEO, Programmes, Samuels oversaw APIN’s programme directorates, guided the implementation of donor-funded interventions and coordinated new business developments. The role involved supporting health facilities to deliver sustainable services while aligning programme objectives with responsible resource management.
His work has also included leadership in electronic medical records and mobile health, alongside APIN’s contributions to national health data systems. These areas connect the organisation’s service delivery experience with the use of information to improve programme performance and patient care.
In his first official engagement with members of staff of the organisation, he spoke about ‘From Legacy to Possibility: Our Next Chapter’. He paid massive tributes to Okonkwo and outlined an agenda to protect APIN’s core programmes while building its capacity as a broader health systems institution.
“Grants begin and end. Projects begin and end. Donor priorities change. Institutions must endure,” he told an ecstatic staff and called for a more diversified resource base and stronger partnerships with government, philanthropy, academia and the private sector.
His priorities include developing the APIN Research Institute, advancing digital transformation and positioning the organisation for opportunities beyond Nigeria. He also outlined plans to use his first 100 days to listen across teams and strengthen governance, financial management, procurement and programme performance.
He emphasised accountability at every level, including the chief executive’s office, and the need to keep patients at the centre of programme decisions. Samuels reminded staff that “behind every number in our reports is a human being.” He then added: “The first twenty-five years gave us a legacy. The next twenty-five years give us a responsibility.”
A patriot to the core who loves his fatherland despite its inherent challenges, it could be recalled that Samuels once stepped out of his comfort zone to get involved in the nation building project by establishing, funding and running a political party, Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN. The party was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in 2018.
Speaking about his experience in a media interview in 2021, Samuels said he gained massive experience from his foray into the political arena. According to him, even if the outcome did not go as he wished, what he gained in terms of insight how politics is played in Nigeria was unquantifiable. He promised, then, to document his experience in a book for the coming generation to know that he stood up to be counted for his country when it mattered most.
Politics has taken a back seat. And even for some time now. He has assignment in APIN. And that is to take it to the next level and make it better than how it was handed over to him by Prof. Prosper Okonkwo.
