The Tinubu Health Sector Practitioners Alliance (TIHSEPA) has urged health professionals across Nigeria to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing government initiatives in medical education, healthcare infrastructure, workforce development and health financing.
The National Coordinator of TIHSEPA, Dr Ogechi Lokpobiri, said the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had introduced measures aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, expanding access to medical services and improving the training and availability of health professionals.
She made the appeal while highlighting developments in nursing education, medical training, emergency medical services, health insurance, and maternal and newborn care.
Lokpobiri also commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, for their roles in advancing reforms intended to improve healthcare delivery and professional development.
According to her, closer collaboration between the health and education ministries is essential to producing competent professionals, upgrading medical institutions and improving health outcomes.
Lokpobiri, wife of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, said sustained investment would be necessary to consolidate reforms and address longstanding challenges in the sector.
Nursing Enrolment, Workforce Development
On nursing and midwifery education, Lokpobiri cited Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare figures indicating that annual enrolment quotas for nursing and midwifery training institutions rose from 28,000 in May 2023 to 115,000 for the 2025 academic year.
She said the increase could help expand the supply of trained professionals and address staffing shortages in hospitals and primary healthcare facilities.
She also cited the retraining of more than 69,000 frontline health workers and the Federal Government’s approval of recruitment waivers for an additional 20,000 health personnel, with nurses and midwives expected to account for 60 per cent of the positions.
Lokpobiri welcomed the Nigeria Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2025–2030, which provides a framework for strengthening professional education, leadership, regulation and workforce development.
However, she stressed that expanding enrolment and recruitment must be accompanied by better welfare, adequate staffing, modern equipment and improved working conditions.
She said retaining skilled professionals was essential to translating investments in training into better patient care.
Medical Education Receives Attention
On medical education, Lokpobiri cited programme information indicating a reported investment of ₦110 billion in 18 medical schools under the Federal Ministry of Education’s Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.
She said the programme also covered the rehabilitation of 12 engineering and technology faculties and the development of 20 institutions specialising in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical sciences.
According to her, such investments could strengthen professional training, expand research capacity and improve the supply of skilled personnel.
She urged the government to ensure that beneficiary institutions had functional laboratories, modern equipment, qualified personnel and adequate clinical training facilities.
Lokpobiri added that expanding enrolment without corresponding improvements in infrastructure and practical training could undermine the quality of graduates.
She called for effective monitoring to ensure that public investments delivered measurable improvements in training standards and professional competence.
Healthcare Infrastructure, Emergency Services
Lokpobiri also highlighted healthcare infrastructure projects announced by the Presidency in May 2026, including a laboratory complex at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in Akwa Ibom State, a mental health and drug rehabilitation centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and an immunisation supply chain hub at the Federal Medical Stores in Oshodi, Lagos State.
Other interventions she cited included primary healthcare facilities in Kano and Delta states and initiatives to improve emergency medical transportation.
According to the figures she provided, the emergency response initiative included 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and 79 ambulances for federal tertiary hospitals.
The plan also included the deployment of compressed natural gas-powered ambulances across all 73 federal tertiary health facilities.
She said the measures could reduce delays in accessing emergency treatment, particularly in rural and underserved communities where inadequate transportation limits access to healthcare.
However, she emphasised that the facilities and vehicles would require proper maintenance, trained personnel and functional referral systems to deliver the intended benefits.
Health Insurance Coverage Expands
On healthcare financing, Lokpobiri commended the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative for prioritising primary healthcare, expanding insurance coverage and improving coordination among the federal, state and local governments.
Citing government reports, she said health insurance enrolment had exceeded 22 million Nigerians by July 2026, representing an increase of approximately 35 per cent since 2023.
She said expanding coverage could reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses and protect low-income households from financial hardship arising from illness.
Lokpobiri called for greater public awareness, effective implementation of insurance schemes and improved service delivery to ensure that more Nigerians benefited from the reforms.
She also advocated increased investment in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing to boost local production of medicines, diagnostic products and medical equipment.
According to her, stronger local manufacturing capacity could reduce dependence on imports, improve supply-chain resilience and support the availability of essential medical products.
Maternal and Newborn Health
On maternal and newborn health, Lokpobiri cited a 2025 review by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which reportedly recorded a 17 per cent reduction in maternal deaths and a 12 per cent decline in newborn deaths across 172 high-burden local government areas targeted by specific interventions.
She said sustaining the reported gains would require continued investment in antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric services and newborn care.
She also called for stronger collaboration among the three tiers of government to extend interventions to more communities.
According to her, trained health workers, essential medicines, functional equipment and timely referrals remained critical to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
She urged relevant authorities to strengthen monitoring and accountability to measure the impact of interventions and identify areas requiring additional investment.
Alliance Seeks Continuity in Healthcare Reforms
As the 2027 presidential election approaches, Lokpobiri urged doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other health professionals to support Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that a second term would provide an opportunity to consolidate ongoing reforms and sustain investment in the sector.
“President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognises that the health of Nigerians is fundamental to the country’s productivity, prosperity and future. Investments in healthcare infrastructure, professional training, maternal health and insurance coverage provide a foundation for building a stronger health system,” she said.
She maintained that healthcare development required sustained funding, effective policy implementation and stronger partnerships among government institutions and professional associations.
Lokpobiri added that the ultimate measure of the reforms should be their impact on Nigerians, particularly in improving access to treatment, strengthening health facilities, enhancing patient outcomes and reducing the financial burden of medical care on households.
