Facts have emerged on how the Executive Director of the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, died.

Prof. Osotimehin, who was at various times Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and Minister of Health, died in his home in New York, USA, on Sunday, June 4.

A report this morning in Vanguard quoted sources close to the family as disclosing that Osotimehin, who turned 68 last February 6, had no previous history of ill health and had attended church service earlier and also had a telephone conversation with his wife, Funke, who was visiting their daughter in London.

“Further, it was gathered that the deceased, who was with his son, Dr Babajide Osotimehin, reportedly took ill suddenly and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, but gave up soon after,” the report said.

Confirming the death, yesterday, the family said funeral arrangements would be announced soon.

Osotimehin, who hailed from Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, was born on February 6, 1949. A source from the UNFPA Nigeria office, who earlier confirmed the death, regretted the development and said their late boss was being expected in the country for a proposed programme on democratic dividend. “He never showed any signs of illness. He was being expected in the country later this month before the news broke. His death was real shock to us,” the source said.

Osotimehin, once Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan, served previously as Nigeria’s Minister of Health between December 17, 2008, and March 10, 2010. He was appointed the 4th Executive Director of UNFPA in November 19, 2010 and was reappointed on August 21, 2014. Prior to his appointment at UNFPA, the deceased was the Director-General of the Nigerian National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, an agency that coordinates all HIV and AIDS in Nigeria. As chairman of the National Action Committee on AIDS, NACA, he oversaw the development of systems that, today, manage more than US$1 billion. During his tenure as Project Manager for the World Bank assisted HIV/AIDS Programme Development Project from 2002–2008, he achieved great success.

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