RismadarVoice Reporters
August 4, 2026
The newly appointed Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr Mina Tele Ikuru, has assumed office following her swearing-in by Governor Siminalayi Fubara on July 29, 2026.
Ikuru, a medical doctor and specialist endocrinologist, has more than 21 years of experience in the Rivers State Civil Service and brings extensive experience in healthcare administration, public service, strategic management and organisational development to her new role.
Before her appointment, she served as Chief Medical Officer and Director on Grade Level 17 in the state civil service. She also served as Medical Director of the Rivers State Civil Servants Clinic from 2019 until July 2026.
RismadarVoice Reporters gathered that during her tenure at the clinic, she received several recognitions, including the 2023 Best Performing Medical Director award from the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board.
She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Port Harcourt and has more than 24 years of clinical experience.
She further holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Port Harcourt, where she graduated as the best student in her class in 2017 with a GPA of 4.90 on a 5.00 scale.
Her other qualifications include a PhD in Strategic Management with distinction from the European Global School, France, and a Master of Clinical Management, Medical and Healthcare Administration, also obtained with distinction in Spain and Andorra.
She has additionally completed executive programmes in accounting and finance for non-finance managers, project management and transformational leadership through institutions including Lagos Business School, Garden City Premier Business School, the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.
PUBLIC SERVICE EXPERIENCE
Ikuru has held several leadership positions within and outside the Rivers State public service.
She served as Vice Chairman of the Association of Heads of Rivers State Government Hospitals between 2024 and 2025 and was Financial Secretary of the association from 2020 to 2024.
She is also a member of the Governing Council of Garden City Premier Business School, a position she first held from 2019 to 2024 and resumed in 2024. She received the Most Outstanding Governing Council Member Award for the 2019–2024 council.
Since 2022, she has also served as an adjunct lecturer at the institution, teaching strategic management, business strategy, corporate strategy and leadership.
Ikuru has participated as a facilitator in several leadership, management, healthcare, strategic management and public-sector capacity-building programmes within and outside the Rivers State Civil Service.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
She is a member and fellow of several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Medical Association, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, European Society of Endocrinology, American College of Healthcare Executives and Nigerian Institute of Management.
She is also a Distinguished Fellow and Life Member of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria and a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administrators.
Her professional credentials include Chartered Strategic Management Professional and membership of several management and healthcare bodies.
LEADERSHIP FOCUS
Beyond her formal responsibilities, Ikuru is described as a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, mentor, researcher and facilitator with interests spanning public-sector governance, strategic management, healthcare leadership, organisational development and education.
Her appointment to the Ministry of Education comes with a background combining medicine, public administration, strategic management and civil service leadership.
With her experience across healthcare administration, governance and professional education, Ikuru is expected to bring an interdisciplinary approach to her responsibilities as Permanent Secretary and contribute to institutional development and reforms within the Rivers State education sector.
