By Aderogba George
Toyin Saraki, founder and CEO of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, has been appointed to the Bayer AG Sustainability Council.
This appointment follows a declaration personally signed by Saraki on Tuesday in Abuja.
Saraki joins a group of leading global experts advancing Bayer’s sustainability strategy, focusing on health equity, food security, and climate resilience.
This announcement follows the recent restructuring of Bayer’s independent Sustainability Council, announced on Monday. Five new members, including Saraki, have been added to this advisory body.
The other individuals named in the declaration are Facundo Etchebehere, Lisa Lange, Philipp Rösler, and Cori Wittman Stitt.
He stated that the Board of Directors has been providing senior advice to Bayer’s management in defining and monitoring progress toward achieving the company’s global sustainability goals. Saraki has over 20 years of experience in maternal, newborn, and child health, gender equality, and strengthening community health systems in Africa and around the world.
It is an honor to join Bayer’s Sustainability Council at such a crucial time for our planet and its people. As we strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, it is our responsibility to ensure that sustainability is not an abstract ideal, but a lived reality, especially for the most vulnerable populations.
In the spirit of shared success, I look forward to contributing my expertise in reproductive health, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, and nutrition, said Saraki.
He also committed to strengthening the links between community health systems and corporate sustainability commitments.
She added that the restructured board will work closely with Bayer’s internal sustainability teams and operational groups to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 goals.
These goals include promoting regenerative agriculture, strengthening climate resilience, and improving access to healthcare. Saraki joins a multidisciplinary team of sustainability experts, including Professor Ashok Gulati (India), Professor Christian Klein (Germany), Carolyn Miles (USA), and Dante Pesce González (Chile).
The Board of Directors embodies Bayer’s vision of “Health for All, Hunger for None” and connects sectors and disciplines to achieve lasting impact.
The press release highlights that Saraki has consistently advocated for the harmonization of public health, human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development through her leadership of the Wellbeing Africa Foundation and her advisory work for international institutions.
Her appointment underscores the importance of African leadership and her innovative experience in shaping global priorities for sustainable development.
