As a demonstration of its commitment to improving the health of residents, the Ogun State Government has increased its 2025 health sector budget allocation to 13 per cent, moving closer to the global benchmark of 15 per cent recommended for healthcare spending.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, revealed this on Tuesday during a media parley on the highlights and breakdown of the 2025 budget, tagged “Budget of Hope and Prosperity,” held at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Dr Coker noted that prior to the inception of the Abiodun-led administration in 2019, the highest allocation to the health sector was seven per cent. She pointed out that the administration has since been steadily increasing the sector’s budget share as a demonstration of its commitment to delivering qualitative and accessible healthcare to the people of the state.
She highlighted the government’s focus on revitalising Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs, as a cornerstone of its health system strengthening efforts. In 2025, the government plans to ensure residents have access to quality healthcare at the grassroots level by renovating, equipping, and staffing 80 PHCs across the state.
The commissioner added that secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities would also receive attention, with plans to purchase advanced medical equipment, including a Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, machine for the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.
Dr Coker further revealed that ambulance services would be enhanced through the construction of 20 ambulance points across the 20 local government areas, the installation of solar panels at these points, and improved access to emergency obstetric and newborn care to address critical health needs.
Responding to a question about the status of the 250-bed hospital in Abeokuta, the Commissioner disclosed that it had been concessioned to private partners. She explained that this approach was adopted to ensure health infrastructure keeps pace with the state’s rapid infrastructural development drive.
She also noted that Governor Abiodun has been paying health insurance premiums for workers since the formal sector scheme was launched in 2024. She added that the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency is set to commence the registration of civil servants under the scheme.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, emphasised that the administration’s culture of transparency and openness necessitated the media parley.
He described the media as key partners in driving progress and keeping the public informed, stating that it is only through the media that members of the public can learn about the government’s developmental plans.