AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Former Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Temitope Alonge, has lamented the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system, noting that policy inconsistency remains a major obstacle to achieving significant progress in the sector.
Alonge, the first Professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery at the University of Ibadan, spoke on Saturday while delivering a lecture titled “Quality Healthcare System and the Challenges of the African Child” during the 2025 DOHAL Annual Foundation Day Public Enlightenment Lecture, held at Precious Cornerstone University, Olaogun, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Dignitaries at the event included the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs. Toyin Balogun, represented by Mrs. Bola Dada; the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Olusegun Olayiwola, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ibadan Zone 2, Ms. Oyeyemi Ojo; the Officer in Charge of Gender, State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, CSP Funke Ayenigbara; members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and students from selected primary and secondary schools in Ibadan.
Emphasizing the impact of policy inconsistency in the health sector, Alonge stated that successive administrations often introduce new programmes without building on those of their predecessors. This, he said, has led to abandoned projects, wasted resources, and disjointed progress.
The professor explained that a quality healthcare system comprises an organized and interconnected network of processes and procedures carried out by a wide array of professionals with the aim of promoting health, preventing diseases, restoring wellness when challenged, and providing rehabilitation in line with the concept of the continuum of care.
“Offering quality healthcare goes beyond the availability of hospitals, specialized professionals, or expensive medical equipment,” he said.
Prof. Alonge identified the three conventional tiers of healthcare service delivery in Nigeria as the Primary Health Care Model, Private Sector Match, and Secondary Health Care Model.
He stated, “Primary healthcare services are expected to be the first point of contact for most Nigerians at the community level, and their operations, funding, and functionality are the prerogative of the local government authorities.”
Explaining the Private Sector Match, Alonge noted that private investors, religious organizations, and philanthropists have become active players in establishing and operating primary healthcare centres in both rural and urban communities. However, he lamented that “In some states, these privately owned centres operate in silos without recourse to the operational guidelines of the State Primary Health Care Board.”
He further stated that the Secondary Health Care Model, which encompasses general and state specialist hospitals, is owned and managed by state governments and is expected to offer more advanced and broader services than the primary centres.
Alonge defined healthcare as “a wide range of services provided by professionals to promote health, prevent diseases, restore physical, mental and social well-being, and provide rehabilitation, culminating in the phenomenon called the continuum of care.”
On the African child, the guest speaker said, “The African child represents a unique generation of dreamers of a glorious continent and the symbol of our future. When an African child is given access to quality healthcare, the actualization of their dreams is guaranteed.”
He commended the Oyo State Government under Governor ’Seyi Makinde for funding primary healthcare centres, noting that the administration has reduced dependence on foreign grants by investing directly in staff, modern equipment, and consumables.
Alonge revealed that challenges with diagnostic facilities are being addressed with the introduction of Point-of-Care-Test (POCT) equipment, which requires neither electricity nor special skills to operate.
“Ease of diagnosis makes appropriate treatment possible and helps preserve the health of our children,” he added.
The former UCH CMD also disclosed that Africa bears 94 percent of the global malaria burden and, consequently, the highest number of malaria-related deaths.
Speaking on the proliferation of private hospitals, Alonge warned, “The main danger posed by the increasing number of private hospitals, which should complement public healthcare services, is that their practices are poorly regulated despite existing legislation. Their records are not easily verified, and business motives sometimes override ethical standards.
“In recent times, some private hospitals now offer tertiary healthcare services, which are often very expensive and beyond the reach of the average African child.”
In his remarks, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, Founder of the DOHAL Foundation, Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries International, and President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), said the event was aimed at promoting health awareness among youths and educating them on self-care to prevent untimely deaths.
“We don’t want any of them to die; we want all of them to live and fulfill their destiny,” the clergyman said.
Bishop Oke called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare system to reduce preventable deaths among the youth and to end the recurring practice of political leaders seeking medical treatment abroad.
He added that the event also serves as advocacy to government at all levels to improve the healthcare system in Nigeria.
“We don’t want a situation where a president has to go abroad for medical treatment. We can strengthen our system here.
“If the government upgrades one tertiary or specialist medical centre in each geopolitical zone to global standards, even the president can be treated in Abuja, Kaduna, Enugu, Lagos, or Ibadan, rather than traveling overseas. That practice should stop—it undermines our national dignity and poses a security risk.
“We want a healthcare system that works from the topmost level to the grassroots, ensuring affordable access to quality healthcare for every citizen,” he added.
The Executive Director of Dorcas Oke Hope Alive Initiative (DOHAL), Pastor Oluwafunmilayo Ajibulu, expressed joy over the achievements of the foundation.
She said, “The Foundation started the annual public enlightenment lecture in 2009 with a focus on the challenges of the African child.”
Ajibulu explained that the foundation’s objective is to empower young people and honour the memory of Dorcas Oke, the late daughter of Bishop Wale Oke and a first-year engineering student who died of typhoid fever caused by fake drugs.
“Last year, she would have been 40 years old. To mark her posthumous birthday, the founder empowered 40 youths from the church. Unfortunately, only 14 have reported back on their progress. Each of them will now receive ₦250,000 for further empowerment. If they use it well, the support will be increased next year.
“It’s a progressive initiative to empower the youth to become employers rather than job seekers,” she added.
