Nigerian Doctor Oluwayemisi Adegboye Elected UN NGO Committee Secretary for Global Health Systems

Nigerian doctor and health advocate, Dr Oluwayemisi Adegboye, has been elected Secretary of the NGO Committee on Global Health Systems, a substantive committee of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations.
Adegboye emerged during activities surrounding the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, taking on a new international role focused on health systems, development and civil society participation.
She said the appointment reflected years of professional service, community engagement and continued learning in Nigeria and abroad. “Leadership has never been about waiting for permission,” Adegboye said, stressing the importance of recognising opportunities to contribute while creating space for others to grow.
The new role, she said, would allow her to bring experiences from her work in health advocacy and community development into wider discussions on global health, women’s leadership and environmental sustainability. Adegboye also argued that local experiences should remain central to global development debates because international challenges often have a direct impact on communities.
Adegboye chairs the Health Team of DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative, where she works on youth health and development. She is also the founder of The ReTAIE Academy, which focuses on personal development, leadership and purposeful living.
Her professional and advocacy activities extend to the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Federal Capital Territory chapter, where she participates in health and environmental initiatives. She is also chairman of the Women’s International Green Summit and Exhibition, WIGSE-27, and contributes to discussions around green innovation and climate action.
Adegboye said her participation in Women in Global Health programmes, including the Intersectionality Course, Speakers Bureau and Global Health Advocates training, influenced her approach to leadership. She said the experience strengthened her understanding of inclusion, communication, power and advocacy and helped shape what she described as her PRISA leadership framework.
She explained that the framework views leadership positions as responsibilities rather than tools for control. In her view, people in positions of influence should use their platforms to amplify voices that may otherwise be excluded from decision-making. She also called for greater opportunities for women and other groups to participate in leadership while stressing the importance of understanding the different circumstances that shape people’s experiences.
Adegboye said advocacy should not stop at international institutions but should extend to households, workplaces, communities, states and national governments. She linked that approach to her work through The ReTAIE Academy, which she described as a platform for personal and leadership development guided by the principle of moving “from vision to legacy.”
Her election comes as global health stakeholders continue to focus on stronger health systems, universal health coverage and greater civil society participation in health policy. Adegboye said her move to the international stage would complement, rather than replace, grassroots engagement by helping bring community experiences into wider health and development discussions.
She thanked the Board of Trustees, Global Working Group, Advisory Board and Central Executive Council of DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative for their support. She also acknowledged the organisation’s Executive Director, Adebusuyi Olumadewa, and Vice-President, International, Ola Oluyinka, for their support throughout her leadership journey