Oyo State Government has dismissed claims by the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation that the state is performing poorly in primary healthcare delivery, describing the allegations as misleading and contrary to verifiable records.
The government said the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde had recorded significant improvements in the sector through the recruitment of 3,933 healthcare workers, implementation of the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy, sustainable healthcare financing and the expansion of access to essential health services.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, stated this in a statement, insisting that Oyo State had emerged as one of the leading states in the country in primary healthcare reforms.
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He said public assessment of the health sector should be based on facts and measurable outcomes rather than political considerations.
Olanrewaju said, “While the government welcomes constructive criticism and healthy democratic engagement, public commentary on such a critical sector must be anchored in facts, evidence and objective assessment rather than conjecture and political propaganda.”
He explained that the state established the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board in 2015, strengthened its legal framework, and transferred the management and administration of primary healthcare personnel to the board in line with the PHCUOR policy.
According to him, the government has also introduced monitoring and evaluation systems, supportive supervision across the 33 Local Government Health Authorities, and digital health initiatives to improve service delivery.
On manpower development, the governor’s aide said the administration had recruited 3,933 health workers across various cadres, including doctors, nurses, community health officers, pharmacists, nutrition officers, ambulance drivers and other support personnel.
He also highlighted the state’s healthcare financing arrangement, which provides for the allocation of 7.5 per cent of local government statutory allocations to primary healthcare programmes.
Olanrewaju described the arrangement as an innovative and sustainable funding mechanism that had become a reference point for other states seeking to strengthen healthcare financing.
He further dismissed allegations of poor performance under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), saying Oyo remained compliant with the programme’s requirements, including counterpart funding, Direct Facility Funding protocols and quarterly performance reporting.
He said, “Oyo State continues to receive BHCPF disbursements and has not been sanctioned for violating any of the programme’s operational guidelines.”
The government also said it had embarked on the renovation, upgrading and equipping of primary healthcare facilities across the state, adding that efforts were ongoing to ensure that every ward had access to functional healthcare services.
It added that the range of services available at primary healthcare centres had been expanded to cover mental health, dental care, eye care, adolescent health, geriatric health and school health services.
On maternal and child health, the government cited improvements in immunisation coverage, antenatal care attendance, skilled birth attendance, family planning uptake and nutrition outcomes.
It said recent assessments showed that child stunting had declined from historical estimates of between 34.7 and 37 per cent to 26.8 per cent in the MDHS 2025/2026 report.
Under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) programme, the state reportedly reduced stunting from about 34 per cent at baseline to 23.1 per cent, earning recognition as one of the best-performing states under the programme.
The government also reported that wasting prevalence declined from 14.4 per cent in the NDHS 2024 to 6.6 per cent in the MDHS 2025, while under-five underweight prevalence dropped from 26.1 per cent to 17.7 per cent.
It said minimum meal frequency among children increased from 11.4 per cent to 39.4 per cent, while minimum acceptable diet rose from 5.8 per cent to 12.9 per cent.
Olanrewaju further disclosed that the state committed N227 million in UNICEF matching funds for the implementation of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS), while Vitamin A supplementation coverage increased from 39.1 per cent to 69.4 per cent among children.
He said the government had also expanded maternal nutrition interventions, including micronutrient supplementation, nutrition counselling and improved dietary practices for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
On digital healthcare, the statement said the state had invested in digital infrastructure, supplied computers and other equipment to primary healthcare facilities, trained health workers and commenced the gradual implementation of electronic medical record systems.
It added that Oyo currently operates hundreds of functional primary healthcare facilities under the BHCPF programme and had recently secured approval for additional facilities following assessments by relevant federal authorities.
The government also listed improved disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, community participation through Ward Development Committees and coordinated responses to public health challenges among its achievements.
Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery, Olanrewaju said the government would remain focused on strengthening the health system rather than engaging in political exchanges.
He said, “The true measure of governance is not in headlines, allegations or partisan scorecards, but in functional health facilities, motivated healthcare workers, improved health outcomes and lives positively impacted. On these counts, Oyo State’s record speaks eloquently for itself.”
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