By Goke Gbadamosi

Public scrutiny of government actions is essential to democratic accountability. Investigative journalism, when balanced with context and evidence, plays a vital role in improving governance and service delivery. However, recurring narratives that isolate challenges from historical context, ongoing reforms and measurable progress risk presenting an incomplete picture to the public.

Recent media reports on Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in Ogun State have again projected a picture of stagnation and neglect, often implying that current deficiencies are recent and unattended. Such portrayals neither reflect the complexity of the challenges nor acknowledge the scale of reforms already underway.

 The reality is more nuanced.

When Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, assumed office in 2019, Ogun State’s primary healthcare system was already in a severely weakened state. Many PHCs, especially in rural, border and hard-to-reach communities, had experienced years—sometimes decades—of infrastructural decay. Power supply was unreliable or absent, water sources were inadequate, staff accommodation was either insufficient or non-existent, equipment was obsolete, and community trust in the system had eroded. In several locations, health workers improvised to keep essential services running.

These conditions were inherited. They were not created by the present administration, and they could not realistically be reversed overnight. Healthcare systems, particularly at the primary level, deteriorate over long periods—and rebuilding them requires sustained, phased and systemic interventions.

Upon assumption of office, Governor Abiodun undertook statewide assessments of health facilities, engaging frontline workers and directly observing infrastructural gaps, manpower shortages and governance weaknesses.

 This informed a deliberate reform strategy anchored on leadership, systems strengthening and partnerships. Recognising that effective reform goes beyond funding, the administration constituted a technically competent leadership team within the health sector, with a clear mandate to drive recovery, institutional reform and service delivery improvements. This governance architecture has since shaped policy coherence, inter-agency coordination and effective engagement with development partners.

Rather than pursue ad hoc or cosmetic interventions, the administration adopted a systems-strengthening approach to PHC revitalisation. Across the State, facilities that once depended on torchlights during deliveries now benefit from 24-hour solar power solutions. Purpose-built residential quarters have improved staff retention in rural postings. Many PHCs have been secured with perimeter fencing, upgraded infrastructure and modern equipment to support essential services, including maternal, newborn and child health, routine immunisation and disease surveillance.

The Ogun State Government has renovated over 60 PHCs across the State, also through strategic partnerships, particularly the World Bank-supported  (IMPACT) Project, and the Basic Healthcare Provision Funds, Ogun State has revitalized 80 PHCs across all 20 Local Government Areas  as  a first phase of a broader reform programme. 

The project was designed to create conducive, standardised and well-equipped healthcare environments capable of delivering quality services, with a strong focus on reducing under-five mortality and improving health outcomes for women and children. Rigorous contractor selection processes and a multi-layered monitoring framework—comprising World Bank representatives, state teams and independent monitors—have been instituted to ensure accountability, quality assurance and value for money.

In parallel, the State Government, in partnership with IMPACT, has initiated the recruitment of over 400  Community Health Workers across the 20 Local Government Areas to address workforce gaps, particularly in underserved communities. this recruitment drive complements ongoing efforts to strengthen human capital through continuous training, supportive supervision and deployment of senior community health workers to enhance service coverage and quality. Workforce development remains central to the sustainability of PHC reforms, as infrastructure alone cannot deliver quality healthcare without skilled, motivated, and adequately supported personnel.

It is also important to contextualise specific facilities highlighted in recent reports. For instance, Ikereku Health Post in Abeokuta North is a small, colonial-era facility that became largely inactive over time due to significant rural–urban migration and population decline.

 Prior to the current administration, the post had been closed. It has since been reopened as a basic daytime facility, not designated for maternity services, reflecting both staffing constraints and limited service demand. With only a handful of households remaining in the immediate catchment area and service utilisation.

To optimise scarce human resources, outreach services are provided to nearby communities with higher population density, while residents are served by three functional health centres within close proximity. Plans are underway to rationalise services further once a new health centre under construction at Ibara Orile is completed, with staff redeployed to strengthen service delivery where needs are greater. 

This reflects responsible resource management rather than neglect.

External validation of Ogun State’s reform trajectory further underscores the reality of progress. 

The World Bank during a recent visit of her Vice President on the 28th of January 2026, commended the State’s investments in primary healthcare, recognising the contribution of strengthened PHCs to improved population health outcomes and system resilience. 

Additionally, for the second consecutive year, Ogun State emerged runner-up in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge, securing a $400,000 award in recognition of sustained reforms, accountability, innovation and political commitment to PHC strengthening. Such recognitions are data-driven and benchmarked against governance and performance indicators, not awarded on the basis of rhetorics.

Beyond infrastructure and workforce expansion, the administration has prioritised continuous professional development and capacity building for health workers, regular training programmes in maternal and child health, immunisation, disease surveillance, data management and patient-centred care are being implemented to ensure that PHC personnel are equipped with current competencies. Investments in digital tools, including the provision of laptops for data collection under the IMPACT Project, further strengthen evidence-based planning, monitoring, and service improvement. 

These efforts collectively aim to build a responsive, efficient, and resilient PHC workforce capable of meeting evolving community health needs.

None of this suggests that all PHCs in Ogun State have reached optimal standards. Some facilities are yet to benefit from current phases of intervention, while demographic pressures, resource constraints and geographic challenges remain.

 However, governance is measured not by the absence of challenges but by the clarity of direction, consistency of effort and credibility of intent. More PHCs have already been earmarked for upgrading in subsequent budget cycles, reinforcing the State’s phased and sustainable reform strategy.

Healthcare reporting should illuminate both gaps and progress. To portray Ogun State’s PHC system as static since 2019 overlooks the deliberate, incremental and often unglamorous work of rebuilding a fragile system. The more accurate narrative is one of transition: from long-standing neglect to structured recovery.

What is underway in Ogun State is the laying of a new foundation for primary healthcare—anchored on infrastructure renewal, energy security, workforce strengthening, institutional leadership and strategic partnerships. 

While the journey toward universal, high-quality primary healthcare is ongoing, the foundations being laid today provide a credible platform for durable and equitable improvements in the years ahead