Oyo State: Barr Agbaje Calls for Bold, Compassionate Reforms in Healthcare System
As part of his ongoing consultations and engagements on the future of Oyo State, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and a leading gubernatorial aspirant, Barrister Akeem Agbaje has called for urgent, focused, and transformative action to reposition the state’s healthcare system as a cornerstone of human capital development and social equity.
Speaking during a closed-door policy dialogue with medical professionals, community health advocates, and civil society actors in Ibadan, Barr. Agbaje described access to quality healthcare as “not just a social service but a moral obligation of any responsible government.”
Agbaje noted that while Oyo State has made commendable strides in immunisation coverage, HIV prevention, and the expansion of health insurance through the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA), the overall state of public health infrastructure, particularly in rural areas and underserved urban communities, remains deeply concerning.
“In a state as resourceful and historically prominent as Oyo, access to quality healthcare should not depend on where one lives or how much one earns. Our mothers in Ibarapa, our children in Saki, and our elderly in Ogbomoso all deserve the same dignity of care as those in the capital.”
Agbaje underscored the need to overhaul primary healthcare delivery as a first step toward achieving universal health coverage. This, he said, must involve revamping dilapidated facilities, supplying essential drugs and diagnostic equipment, and recruiting and retaining skilled personnel through improved welfare, career development, and local incentives. He stressed that primary healthcare centres, which should be the first line of defence for the common man, remain under-resourced, poorly staffed, and in many cases, barely functional.
Barr. Agbaje particularly expressed concern about maternal and child health outcomes, stressing the importance of ensuring that every pregnant woman, regardless of income or location, has access to skilled birth attendants and quality antenatal care. “A society that neglects its mothers and children has no claim to development. We must make it a policy priority that no woman in Oyo State dies while giving life. That means investing in our midwives, building maternity wards, and ensuring that every child receives the nutrition and medical attention they deserve.”
Agbaje emphasised that beyond the revitalisation of primary healthcare centres, his vision also includes renovating and equipping all existing general hospitals across the state, ensuring they meet modern standards of care and are adequately staffed and supplied. In addition, he stated his plan to strategically build more general hospitals in underserved regions to address growing population needs and eliminate the long distances many citizens currently travel to receive secondary healthcare.
While commending OYSHIA’s role in reducing out-of-pocket payments for healthcare, Barr. Agbaje noted that the state’s health insurance scheme must be strengthened for broader coverage, improved transparency, and seamless accessibility, especially for the poor and vulnerable. He stressed that the healthcare system must be rooted in the principle of equity—where no resident is left behind due to geographic or economic barriers.
The two-term governorship aspirant also advocated for the digital transformation of the health sector, including the introduction of electronic health records, telemedicine capabilities for remote consultations, and real-time monitoring of drug supply chains to prevent shortages and leakages. While acknowledging government-led initiatives such as the renovation of some PHCs and periodic medical outreach programmes, the aspirant maintained that “a few interventions, however commendable, cannot replace the need for a sustainable, data-driven, and inclusive health policy.”
He called for the expansion and full implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to ensure that vulnerable populations are not excluded from care due to financial barriers and urged broader enrolment and transparency in the management of the Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme.
He further stressed the urgent need to address the persistent brain drain in the healthcare sector by creating a professional environment that retains doctors, nurses, and other allied health workers, noting that no system can function effectively without its human backbone.
Barr. Akeem Agbaje reiterated his vision for a resilient, inclusive, and modern healthcare system that is people-centred and anchored on equity, professionalism, and innovation. “We cannot build a prosperous Oyo State on a foundation of ailing bodies and broken systems. Healthcare is not a luxury. It is a right. And it will be a priority.”
