Dr Patrick Sunday Dakum, a medical doctor from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital Nigeria, with a Master’s Degree in Public Health, has sojourned through Nigeria’s public health sector, the telecommunication industry (NITEL),multilateral agencies (UNFPA) and bilateral agencies,implementing partners (AVSC, CEDPA, CIDA) and local NGOs (Help International).
It is important to note that his services as Commissioner ofHealth and Information in Plateau State, Nigeria, changed the narratives and impacted tremendously on health care service delivery and information dissemination in Plateau state.
Patrick Dakum is a seasoned administrator, a prudent human and material resources manager with an eagle’s eye on efficiency, productivity and accountability. It will be recalled that the Plateau state health sector experienced an impactfulhealth care service delivery during his tenure as the Commissioner for Health.
Let it be noted that Dakum’s work experience and business entrepreneurship in the global medical world spans across like the tentacles of an octopus.
He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) and Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine, Baltimore.
He leads IHVN’s CDC PEPFAR and the Global Fund programs to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. He coordinates the interdisciplinary responsibilities of the Institute for effective program output in addition to providing overall management of the Nigerian team in implementing the Institutes several projects.
 He is an Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, successful grant funding in the tens of millions of dollars, and scientific publication ofmore than 34 health books and journals with more to come.
He liaises with US and Nigeria government partners to ensure the success of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) ACTION Project now ACHIEVE project in the country.
Globally acclaimed leaders like William a. Blattner,Managing Director Salt Run Global Health And Research USAand Bogoro Elias former Executive Secretary of TETFUND),
Dr. Dakum as a community leader has executed manycommunity based projects in his Mupunland and beyond. This humanitarian gesture has earned for him traditional tittles such as “the Nguman Dak Yil Mupun Land, “the Korong Jiblik” (meaning Hero of Jiblik), “The title “Ngu Mandak YilMupun“.
Patrick Dakum represents different facets in life as Team Player, Leader, Mentor, Technocrat, Community Leader, Pastor, Counselor, and Benefactor. He is exceptionally versatile and is the leader of the Consolidation for Greater Plateau 2023.
It is no surprise therefore that his people put pressure on him to contest for tenancy at Government House Rayfield, under the umbrella of the APC.
