Osotimehin contested the view of fellow Nigerians that homosexuality and the transmission of HIV were not an issue in Africa.

[3] In a September 2009 press conference, Osotimehin said that Nigeria had yet to comply with the Abuja Declaration that 15% of the budget of each African country should be devoted to health care.

[10] In October 2009, he pointed out that medical institutions were required by law to treat accident and gunshot victims.

[13] On 19 November 2010, Osotimehin was appointed as the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for a four-year term.

He assumed the position on 1 January 2011 and became the organisation's fourth executive director, holding the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

"We need to ensure that young people of both genders have equal participation, not only in reproductive rights and health but also within society and in the economy.

As chairman of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) he oversaw the development of systems which in 2011, managed more than US$1billion.

Colleagues at UNFPA have described him as " physically imposing and incredibly eloquent" and "not lack[ing] in self-confidence", respectively, and that "he was a visionary".