Nigerian professor of infectious disease epidemiology, Ibrahim Abubakar, has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. This places him at the helm of a major global organisation focused on preparing for future disease outbreaks.
According to The Punch, CEPI’s board announced Abubakar’s appointment on Friday following an open recruitment process. He is expected to join the organisation in March 2027 before formally assuming office as chief executive in April.
President Bola Tinubu has also congratulated Abubakar, describing him as a distinguished Nigerian epidemiologist and global health expert. The President said the appointment reflects Nigeria’s growing contribution to leadership in global health.
CEPI was established in 2017 as a partnership involving governments, private organisations, philanthropies and civil society groups. It funds and coordinates the development of vaccines and other tools against emerging infectious diseases. Additionally, it played a significant role in supporting vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is Ibrahim Abubakar?
Abubakar began his medical career at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree in 1992.
He later moved into public health, earning a Master of Science from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1999, obtained a Diploma in Public Health from the University of Cambridge in 2001.
He then completed his PhD at the University of East Anglia in 2007.
His research has focused largely on infectious diseases and public health, particularly tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, emerging infections and vaccine-preventable diseases.
Academic and leadership career
Abubakar has held several senior academic positions in the United Kingdom. Between 2010 and 2012, he worked as a Senior Lecturer in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
He was also Professor of Health Protection at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia. Before joining University College London in 2012, he became Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology.
At UCL, Abubakar served as Director of the Institute for Global Health from 2016 to 2021. He later became Dean of the Faculty of Population Health Sciences in 2021 and Pro-Provost for Health in 2023.
He has also led the UCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and UCL-TB. Moreover, he served as a senior investigator at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit.
Beyond academia, Abubakar previously headed tuberculosis programmes at Public Health England. There, he contributed to efforts aimed at controlling the disease in the United Kingdom.
Global health experience
Abubakar has also occupied several influential positions in international health.
He served as chair of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Tuberculosis until 2019. In addition, he has also chaired the WHO Global Clinical Trials Forum.
He is chair of Lancet Migration and has served on the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. He has also served on the UCL Partners Board and the board of Resolve to Save Lives.
His work has earned him recognition from several major scientific institutions. He became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2020. He joined the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 2024 and was elected to the United States National Academy of Medicine in 2025.
Abubakar’s appointment will see him take responsibility for an organisation at the centre of global efforts to accelerate vaccine development. It will also strengthen preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics.
