Alumni Seminar: The Policy and Political Economy of Resource Mobilization and Utilization for UHC in Nigeria
- Event
Wed 13 May 2026 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM
LSTM CAMPUSÂ (and online), L3 5QA
Please join us for an Alumni Speaker Event welcoming back Dr. Gafar Alawode (MD, MSc, FFPH, FAPH) for a presentation on the intersection of politics, policy, and global health.
Title: The Policy and Political Economy of Resource Mobilization and Utilization for Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria
Drawing on two decades of fieldwork and peer-reviewed research, Dr. Alawode will explore how health financing policy and political economy interact to shape Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) trajectory.
What to Expect:
- The Core Takeaway: Health financing is not just a technical process; it is inherently political. We will explore how political economy shapes decision-making, directly affecting the volume, equitable distribution, and utilization of health resources.
- Real-World Application: Insights from decades of senior-level management on donor-funded health system strengthening projects across Nigeria, Liberia, and Uganda.
- The LSTM Impact: Dr. Alawode will share personal reflections on how the professional foundation provided by LSTM opens doors and catalyses a global career journey.
About the Speaker
Dr. Gafar Alawode is the CEO at Development Governance International (DGI) Consult and Chair of the governing council of the National Cancer Intervention Fund.
A globally recognized expert in health systems, he has advised 54 Commonwealth Ministers of Health, served on the World Bank’s health financing resilience core group, and acts as Principal Investigator for major projects funded by the Gates Foundation and AHPSR. He has previously held pivotal leadership roles, including Country Director for Health Policy Plus, Chief of Party for the USAID Health Finance and Governance project, State Team Lead for DFID’s PATHS2, and Country Manager for LATH.
Dr. Alawode holds a master’s degree in Tropical Medicine from LSTM, an MD from the University of Ilorin, and completed executive courses at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health (FFPH) and the Academy of Public Health (FAPH).