On 14 April 2026, Professor Dr. Joseph Akinkugbe Adelegan, Executive Director of Partners in Population and Development (PPD), paid a high-level courtesy call on His Excellency Mr. Ekitela Lokaale, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations. The meeting was held at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations.
During the meeting, Professor Adelegan formally introduced himself in his capacity as the newly appointed Executive Director of PPD and provided Ambassador Lokaale and his delegation with a comprehensive overview of the organization’s mandate, governance structure, and strategic direction. The Executive Director outlined PPD’s five strategic pillars around which its programmes are organised and executed, including the Centre of Excellence programme, the NAPACO meeting series, and the International Interministerial Panel, which convenes Member States to deliberate on issues of common interest. He also highlighted PPD’s postgraduate training programme in Sexual and Reproductive Health, which offers scholarships in partnership with institutions in China, South Africa, Ghana, and Egypt, as well as the organization’s innovation funnel framework designed to identify best practices among Member States and replicate successful programmes across the PPD network.
Professor Adelegan also drew attention to PPD’s ongoing effort to build a Knowledge Management Portal, a comprehensive digital repository and one-stop platform to harness and disseminate information on sexual and reproductive health across the Global South. He acknowledged that PPD’s visibility had historically been limited and shared his active plans to expand the organization’s membership by engaging five new countries from Central Africa and the MENA region. He further expressed his commitment to elevating PPD’s profile on the global stage, including at major international platforms such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
Ambassador Lokaale engaged actively throughout the discussions and expressed his appreciation for PPD’s work, particularly Kenya’s role as host of a PPD Centre of Excellence and Training Facility. The Ambassador underscored the critical importance of sexual and reproductive health and the need for evidence-based population planning to inform sound policy decisions. He also raised the question of PPD’s current membership of 28 countries and encouraged the Executive Director to clearly articulate the organization’s activities and impact to enable Member States to make informed decisions on how best to support PPD’s mission. The Ambassador noted that while some Member States hold reservations regarding sexual and reproductive health, it remains an essential area that demands sustained attention and advocacy.
The Republic of Kenya holds a distinguished position within the PPD governance structure, serving as the Treasurer of the PPD Board. In this capacity, Kenya plays a pivotal role in the financial stewardship and strategic oversight of the organization. The productive and substantive exchange at the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations reflects the strong foundation of this bilateral relationship and the shared commitment of both parties to advancing the ICPD agenda, promoting South-South Cooperation, and ensuring that population and development remain central to the global sustainable development discourse.
