President Bola Tinubu has been praised for driving the Renewed Hope Agenda and for the administration’s continued efforts to transform Nigeria’s health sector.
The Chairman of the Faculty of Surgery at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and former Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Prof. Alexander Nwofor, made the commendation during his valedictory lecture.
He applauded the government’s commitment to reviving healthcare delivery and expanding access, noting that “these initiatives demonstrate a clear intention to rebuild public confidence in Nigerian hospitals.”
Prof. Nwofor also urged healthcare professionals across the country to match government reforms with stronger discipline, improved work ethics and better patient–caregiver relationships.
He stressed that restoring excellence in the medical profession requires a culture of diligence, respect and compassion—principles he described as essential to rebuilding trust and strengthening service delivery.
While acknowledging President Tinubu’s efforts, he maintained that “deeper political will and significantly increased funding remain necessary to halt systemic decline and deliver sustainable improvements.”
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Reflecting on his decades-long career including his service as Acting Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Prof. Nwofor lamented the persistent underfunding that, he said, has weakened both training and clinical services nationwide.
“The health sector needs proper funding for everyone to benefit. Without it, we cannot deliver quality care,”Prof. Nwofor stated.
He identified discipline as a defining feature of his leadership style saying; “My greatest achievement was discipline. Staff came to work punctually and remained at their duty posts because they knew I would not tolerate indiscipline.”
However, he expressed concern over a growing decline in work ethics across health institutions.
“Diligence and honour are no longer valued. Indiscipline, favouritism and disregard for due process have become the norm. We must rethink our attitudes or risk total collapse,” Prof. Nwofor warned.
Prof. Nwofor urged lecturers and consultants to recommit to training medical students and resident doctors, stressing that residents are “not merely service hands but future teachers who must be properly guided.”
