Tim Menakaya
Nigerian physician and politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Timothy Ndubisi Menakaya ⓘ (born 27 May 1934) is a Nigerian physician and politician who served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2001.[1][2]
Timothy Ndubisi Menakaya | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 1999–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Jubril Ayinla |
| Succeeded by | Alphonsus Nwosu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 May 1934 |
Early life and education
Menakaya was born on 27 May 1934 and hails from Umunya, in present-day Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended Dennis Memorial Grammar School in Onitsha and later earned a degree in medicine and surgery at the University of Bologna, Italy, in 1964.[1][3] He is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians.[4]
Career
Menakaya practiced medicine in Italy and the United Kingdom before returning to Nigeria in 1966, where he served as a medical officer in Eastern Nigeria.[5] He served in the Biafran Army during the Nigerian Civil War.[3] He worked with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha at Holy Rosary Maternity Hospital and St. Charles Borromeo Hospital. In 1974, he founded Menax Hospital in Onitsha.[6] Menakaya held leadership positions in various industrial, educational and healthcare boards.[4]
Menakaya served as Nigeria's Minister of Health from 1999 to 2001, during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo.[7] He worked on various health reforms and initiatives aimed at improving the country's healthcare systems, including the roll back malaria programme and the National Health Insurance Scheme.[1][3] He also expanded public health awareness efforts and investigated claims of a vaccine cure for HIV/AIDS.[1][8]
Awards and recognition
Menakaya's contributions to the medical field have earned him several honours, including the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and various awards from medical associations and civic organisations.[4][7]