President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday appointed Dr. Ifedayo Morayo Adetifa as the new Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Buhari’s Special Assistant on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu confirmed the appointment in a statement on Monday.

Shehu said Adetifa will take over from Chikwe Ihekweazu, who has been given an appointment at the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Ihekweazu had been NCDC DG since 2016 when Buhari appointed him, but last week, WHO appointed him as an assistant Director-General.

In an official letter addressed to Ihekweazu, WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the Nigerian is the deputy in charge of health emergency intelligence at the global health organisation.

He is to assume the office on November 1, 2021, and will be in charge of WHO’s pandemic and epidemic response hub in Berlin, Germany