Dr. Mustapha Gidado (PhD, MSc, MPH, & MBBS) has become the first non-Dutch professional to man the position of the Executive Director at KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, situated at The Hague in Netherlands. Hitherto, he was the Director of the KNCV-led and USAID-funded Challenge TB Project which has significantly contributed to the strengthening of TB programs and services in 22 different countries including Nigeria where he was the KNCV Country Director from 2012 to 2017.

Gidado’s progressive career in the quest for a Tuberculosis free world started at the National Tuberculosis & Leprosy Control Programme –NTBLCP Training Center in Zaria and received a significant impact and growth at the same programme of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health that provided him opportunity for secondment to KNCV many years ago.

This present appointment at the zenith of the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation is a remarkable sign to the relentless and impactful work done at the foundation of his clinical and programmatic management of Tuberculosis, Leprosy and HIV. His experience is at various levels and settings from clinic, regional, national and international levels, on program design, planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

His major areas of competencies include Program Leadership and Management, General TB & TB/HIV, Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB, TB infection control & Human Resource Development. He has a flair for ensuring health system strengthening for overall benefit of all including the vertical disease programmes, as he always says “the success of vertical disease programmes is completely hinged on strong health system.” Gidado is well known for his relentless effort in capacity building and mentorship for all TB programme staff in Nigeria and Africa for over two-decades and still is a faculty member for some Universities in Nigeria in the areas of TB, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Health System Strengthening

This appointment goes a long way to strengthen Dr. Gidado’s resolve to see a TB free world in all partner countries.  Nigeria presently ranks 6th in countries with TB and would not be left behind especially in areas of innovative approaches to TB prevention and care including finding new cases.

On his appointment, Dr. Gidado says “I’ve always worked in TB control. As a doctor, I have experienced firsthand that people and children die unnecessarily because they did not receive the correct treatment or because TB was discovered too late. That motivates me for this work. We are obliged to prevent this from continuing. I am honored and feel humble to be leading this organization in its mission, a world free of TB.”

Mirella Visser, LLM, chair of the Board of Trustees says “Mustapha Gidado is widely recognized as TB expert with a strong network and connections in TB and in the public health world. He is an inspirational leader. The Board of Trustees is confident that Gidado has the leadership skills to move forward with KNCVs strategy and further strengthen KNCVs excellent reputation as a leading technical agency in the international fight against TB. We are looking forward to continue working together with him as Executive Director on our mission: a world free of TB.“

Dr. Mustapha Gidado is happily married with 4 children.