Juliet Jacob Ochenje
One of the surprise appointments in the long list of ministers and their portfolios as announced by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday was the pick of Dr. Betta Chimaobim Edu,who is widely identified as one of the youngest politicians in Nigeria, born in October 27, 1986 for the sensitive Ministry of Humanitarian affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The 37-year-old Betty is a result-oriented health policy and management expert with over twelve years’ professional experience building and leading teams in visioning, developing, and implementing life-saving health policies and programmes at national and state levels.
Education and Early Career:
Dr Betta Chimaobim Edu, upon return to Nigeria completed her First school leaving Certificate and Common entrance in 1995 at Charles Walker International Nursery and Primary school. She further went on to have her secondary education at Federal Government Girls College, Calabar in 2001 where she obtained her West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate. In 2009, she proceeded to complete her first degree in medicine and surgery (MBBCh) from the, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria to help people because every time she went out for an outreach or missionary work in remote villages in Nigeria, she met people who had one sickness or the other. In encountering children who had fungal infections, she was inspired to do more. She thought to give them more that food and clothes, to provide quality health care for everyone. Thus, years before she got into the political landscape, right after graduating as a medical doctor, she started carrying out free health outreach programmes in villages with her personal savings.
In 2012, She conducted her compulsory service to her country Nigeria through the National Youth Service Corp program in Calabar, Cross River State as the Chief Medical Director serving at the Cross River State Camp Clinic and a Medical Officer serving at the Government House Clinic as the Team Lead, Personal Physician to First family attached to Wife of the Governor.
Dr Edu was until her nomination as Minister the woman leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Her first saunter into the public space was her appointment as Commissioner of Health by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state. even with the two appointments, Dr Edu has remained a fringe politician and leader.
By far her highest showcase and reckoning at the national scene was her moment of screening and clearance by the Senate for appointment as Minister. It was an opportunity that Dr Edu, a Harvard trained medical officer, seized with both hands. During her screening, Nigerians were regaled by her beauty and brains. She dispensed herself very well to the questions from Senators. In fact, Dr Edu demonstrated a remarkable knowledge on the worries, failures of the nation’s health sector and hopes for revival, that many watched her leave the dais after her question and answer session, with the impression she will be one of the ministers to supervise the nation’s health sector.
As it turned out, President Tinubu had other ideas for her. Growing up, Dr Edu was instilled with a drive for acquiring a formal education by her parents, but that was not all. They also formed in her and her siblings the principles and value of helping others. According to Dr Edu, for her parents, the only way to a fulfilling life was to give and provide service for humanity.
Dr Edu started early to demonstrate these fine qualities. On her return to Nigeria she plunged into service to humanity, with an uncommon zeal. During outreaches to remote villages far flunked away from Calabar, as a corps member medial officer in the Cross River state Ministry of Health, Dr Edu was often moved to help people beyond her call to duty.
Dr Edu said she often wondered what was wrong with the system that many so indigent and unserved. Moved by pity and drive to do something.Thus, years before she ventured into the political landscape, Dr Edu has launched a managed a free health outreach programmes to villages with her personal savings.
Her successes as a charity worker benefitted from her years of development and sharpening of her professional and leadership capacities through numerous executive programmes from renowned institutions as the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States of America where she horned the skills in Leadership Strategies for Evolving Health Care Executives in the year 2018.
She went on to acquire many other certificates and post graduate degrees in several fields including, Health in Humanitarian Crises from University of London, United Kingdom.
Since joining the Executive Branch of Government in Cross River state, Dr Edu has recorded several accomplishments against her name. she served as the Vice Chairman, Forum of all CEOs of Primary Health Care Agencies and Boards in Nigeria in 2018. During her tenure, she reformed national policy decisions for Primary Health Care development in Nigeria, collaborated with the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency to ensure full implementation of Primary Health Care Under One Roof policy in all the 36 states and FCT in Nigeria.
In that capacity she advocated regularly to the President, National Assembly and key stakeholders to influence institutionalization and full implementation of key health policies, particularly the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and also Advocated to Governors on state specific challenges to the health sector with emphases on Primary Health Care within their states.
As Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Cross River state on Community Health in 2015 to 2016, at the time the youngest Special Adviser to any Governor in Nigeria. Her age did not limit her performance in the position. On record, she offered well – meaning suggestions for the improvement of public health matters, with focus on improving the health of the communities, produced policy briefs on health systems strengthening and universal health coverage to support policy dialogue and decisions of the Governor, She was also central in the identification of strategic Development Partners (local and international) and facilitated their engagement with the state government to support the state’s health policies and programmes implementation. Dr Edu also worked with the Development Partners in the provision of technical assistance to the State Ministry of Health and parastatals in policy development, strategic planning and performance management amongst other key leadership responsibilities.
In 2016, she became the first Director General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA) and up until 2019, she facilitated the creation of Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency and the enactment of the Agency’s establishment Law, the creation of Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme and the enactment of the Agency’s establishment Act; produced the first ever Minimum Service Package for health care in the State; revitalized over 200 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in line with the PHC Revitalization policy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration; constructed 60 New PHCs to promote equitable access to primary care in unreached underserved communities; increased domestic financing for primary healthcare in Cross River state; achieved rapid coverage of child immunization through the introduction of ‘push system’ for vaccines supply in the state immunization program and achieved highest ranking status for Cross River state in child survival rate in Nigeria.
While serving as the Commissioner for Health, Cross River State from December 2019 through to March 2022, Dr Betta C. Edu, lead the strategic vision, planning, and implementation of health and human development policies to fulfill the development.
Agenda of the government of Cross River State: Dr Edu
These are the basket of achievements and personal training that Dr Edu will bring to her new office as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The world awaits her performance.
