Dr. Leke Pitan is a versatile public administrator of note, a visionary leader, an astute change agent and a good people’s manager.

He is one of the few Nigerians and perhaps Lagos State indigenes that had the rare opportunity to attend top notch schools in Nigeria; namely, Igbobi College, where he came out with grade 1 distinction, Kings College and the prestigious University of Ibadan between 1971 and 1982.

He studied Medicine at University of Ibadan (MBBS) where he came out with distinctions in Anatomy and later had his Masters in Public Health from Lagos State University as the best graduating student.

Upon graduation, he was able to gather extensive work experiences covering the public and private sectors respectively. His public sector experience began as a medical officer at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, then General Hospital Lagos and State Hospital Shagamu (Ogun State) between 1982 and 1985. His meritorious services at these public institutions continue to speak for him.

His foray into private sector health sector services (1985 to 1999) later positioned him as the Medical Director of Mayowa Hospital. Like a gold fish, he was sought after even from the private sector to lend some of his valuable experiences to Healthcare Management in the Public Health domain.

While working as a health practitioner, he had equal passion and commitment for political activities. He was one of the few Nigerians that worked endlessly and tirelessly to end military rule in Nigeria. Having beeen tutored by the likes of Alhaji Lateef lakande, he has always carried the burden of how to ensure that the average Nigerian derives good benefits of governance; especially the people of Lagos State.

The government of Lagos State in its wisdom appointed Dr. Leke Pitan as the First Commissioner of Health in the new democratic dispensation, having noticed his passion to deliver people centred services in the State.

While in office as Commissioner, he created the first health service reform that enabled flexibility and good quality of healthcare services to the people of Lagos State.

Prior to his administration, it was difficult to get ambulances from government hospitals to convey very sick patients or accident victims to hospitals; he created the existing Lagos State Ambulance Services in the state and as serving commissioner, he personally went round Lagos State to identify strategic pin down points (locations) of the ambulances in order to respond quickly to emergencies, rather than having them parked at the hospital premises. The service is free to Lagos State residents.

The Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA) was created by Dr. Leke Pitan for very quick response of government to various types of emergencies. This is evident today in the positive attitudes of the agency during the recent series of disasters that occurred in Lagos.

     Lagos State government remains the first in the history of Nigeria’s healthcare management to perform open heart surgeries on patients. This novel practice was the ingenious initiative of Dr. Leke Pitan.

Mass Health Mission is very prominent in Nigeria today, with the three tiers of government, NGOs, religious organizations and the private sector organizations getting involved. It is a supplementary approach to public healthcare management in the country. The idea was conceived by Dr. Leke Pitan in his early days as Commissioner of Health in Lagos State.

Some of the ongoing services of the public health sector of Lagos State government initiated by Dr. Leke Pitan include

Creation of the FIRSTHealth Service Commission in Nigeria with Enabling Legislation

Creation of the FIRSTHIV / AIDS Control Agency in Nigeria with Enabling Legislation.

Creation of Blood Transfusion Screening Centres with the FIRST enabling Blood Transfusion Law in Nigeria.

Public – Private Partnership Initiatives in the Health Sector, covering Pharmacy, Radiology, Mortuary and Laboratory Management Upgrading of Ikeja General Hospital to a Teaching Hospital with Enabling Legislation, mass free health schemes such as the Blindness Prevention Programme/Cornel (Eye) Transplant Programme

• SEHMU: State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit
• Limb Deformity Corrective Surgery Programme
• Ambulance Boat Expedition to Rural Areas
• In – Hospital Banking Programme.

Once again, in its wisdom and having witnessed the credible successes he recorded in the ministry of health, the administration of Ahmed Bola Tinubu re-assigned Dr. Pitan to the ministry of education to rejuvenate the education sector of Lagos State.

Even though he had a brief stay in the ministry of education (2006 to 2007), Dr. Pitan began the transformation process of aggressive infrastructural improvement of Lagos State Public educational facilities. The result can be seen in the great transformation of Lagos public schools today as several private sector organizations have also been involved by adopting public schools for physical transformation.

He established the inclusive education system in Lagos State, whereby physically challenged students/pupils and other students were schooled in the same classrooms. The physically challenged students were schooled separately from the other students before his tenure. Several schools across Lagos now have this practice today.

Dr. Pitan was elected Governing Council member for Nigeria at the IHF 34 World Hospital Congress held in Nice, France, in 2005, for a six-year (2005-2011) term of office. During this period, Dr. Pitan has been elected Treasurer for two consecutive terms (2007-2009 & 2009-2011).

He is also a member of the IHF Executive and Audit and Finance Committees.

Dr. Pitan is winner of the National Merit Awards of the Nigerian Medical Association and the General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, respectively.

More on Dr. Pitan

• President of Lagos State Students Association of University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State
• Learnt under tutelage of his father who was a two-time councillor of Lagos Island Local government council.
• Member Afenifere group “under leadership of Pa Adekunle Ajasin and was a representative for Lagos State.
• Member UPN
• Member SDP- worked as coordinating officer for Late Agbalajobi.
• Served as returning officer for Late Engineer Funsho Williams in the primaries election of 1998 – 99.
• Presently apex leader in Agbowa Ikosi ward in the EPE division.
• Set Chairman, Igbobi College Old Boys Association (2007 to Date).
• National President, National Union of Lagos State Students, NULASS (1981 to 1982).
• Nigerian Institute of Management, Member
• Guild of Medical Doctors, Member
• Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Member
• President, Pivotal Club Epe (1997 to 1999)
• National Merit Award Winner, Nigeria Medical Association (2005)
• National Merit Award Winner, Igbobi College Old Boys Association (2008)
• Dr. Pitan was born on January 14th, 1956 in Lagos State, Nigeria.
• Dr. Pitan is married and blessed with three children.