Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has congratulated Olusimbo Ige, a Nigerian, for her appointment as the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, making her the first black female to hold such a position.
In an official statement released by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations and Protocols Unit at NIDCOM, Dabiri-Erewa expressed jubilation over Ige’s extraordinary milestone, stating, “History made! Congrats to the first Black Woman in the History of Chicago Dept. of Public Health to be appointed as Commissioner.”
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Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that Ige’s achievement reinforces the positive impact Nigerians in the Diaspora are making globally, urging her to serve as an inspiration for other young Nigerian professionals to excel in their respective careers and be ambassadors for Nigeria.
Olusimbo Ige’s appointment follows the approval of Mayor Brandon Johnson after the dismissal of Dr. Allison Arwady, the former Commissioner at the Chicago Department of Public Health in the United States.
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Expressing confidence in Ige’s capabilities, Mayor Brandon Johnson stated, “Ige is a tremendous addition to not just our administration but to the City of Chicago.” Prior to this role, Ige served as the managing director of programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a non-profit public health organization based in New Jersey.
