The Tinubu Health Sector Practitioners Alliance (TIHSEPA) has called on Nigerian health professionals to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing what it described as progress in medical education, healthcare infrastructure, workforce development and health insurance.
The group’s National Coordinator, Dr Ogechi Lokpobiri, said the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had introduced initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, expanding access to medical services and improving the training of health professionals.
Lokpobiri made the appeal while highlighting government interventions in nursing education, medical training, emergency medical services, maternal and newborn healthcare, and health financing.
She 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 implementing reforms intended to improve healthcare delivery and professional development.
According to her, sustained collaboration between the health and education ministries is essential to producing competent professionals, upgrading medical institutions and improving health outcomes.
Lokpobiri, who is the wife of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, said continued investment would be necessary to consolidate the reported gains and address longstanding challenges in the sector.
Nursing Training Enrolment Rises
Highlighting developments in 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 expansion could help increase the number of trained professionals available to hospitals and primary healthcare facilities.
She also cited the retraining of more than 69,000 frontline health workers nationwide and government approval for the recruitment of an additional 20,000 health personnel, with nurses and midwives expected to account for 60 per cent of the positions.
The TIHSEPA coordinator welcomed the Nigeria Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2025–2030, describing it as an important framework for improving professional education, leadership, regulation and workforce development.
However, she stressed that increased enrolment and recruitment must be matched with better welfare, adequate staffing, modern equipment and improved working conditions.
According to her, retaining qualified health professionals is crucial to ensuring that investments in training translate into better patient care.
Medical Schools Get Attention
On medical education, Lokpobiri referenced a reported N110 billion investment in 18 medical schools under the Federal Ministry of Education’s Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.
She also cited plans involving the rehabilitation of 12 engineering and technology faculties and the development of 20 institutions specialising in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical sciences.
She said the investments could strengthen professional training, expand research capacity and improve the supply of skilled personnel.
Lokpobiri, however, called for effective monitoring to ensure that beneficiary institutions had functional laboratories, modern equipment, qualified instructors and adequate clinical training facilities.
She warned that expanding student enrolment without corresponding improvements in infrastructure and practical training could undermine the quality of graduates produced.
New Healthcare Facilities, Ambulance Services
The TIHSEPA coordinator also highlighted healthcare infrastructure projects announced by the Presidency in May 2026.
The projects she referenced included 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 included primary healthcare facilities in Kano and Delta states and initiatives to improve emergency medical transportation.
According to the figures she cited, the emergency response initiative included 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and 79 ambulances for federal tertiary hospitals.
The plan also provided for compressed natural gas-powered ambulances across all 73 federal tertiary health facilities.
Lokpobiri said such interventions could improve access to emergency treatment, particularly in rural and underserved communities where transportation challenges often delay medical attention.
She stressed, however, that the facilities and vehicles must be properly maintained and supported by trained personnel and functional referral systems to deliver the expected benefits.
Health Insurance Enrolment Tops 22 Million
On healthcare financing, Lokpobiri commended the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative for its focus on primary healthcare, insurance coverage and coordination among the three tiers of government.
Citing government reports, she said health insurance enrolment had exceeded 22 million Nigerians by July 2026, representing an increase of about 35 per cent since 2023.
She argued that expanding insurance coverage could reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending and protect households, particularly low-income families, from the financial consequences of illness.
She called for sustained public awareness, effective implementation of insurance schemes and improved service delivery to ensure that more Nigerians benefited from the reforms.
Lokpobiri also advocated increased investment in local pharmaceutical manufacturing to boost domestic production of medicines, diagnostic products and medical equipment.
She said stronger domestic manufacturing capacity could reduce dependence on imports, improve supply-chain resilience and support the availability of essential medical products.
Maternal and Newborn Health Interventions
On maternal and newborn healthcare, 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 improvements would require continued investment in antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric services and newborn care.
She also called for stronger collaboration among federal, state and local governments to extend successful interventions to more communities.
According to her, trained health workers, essential medicines, functional equipment and timely referrals remain vital to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
She urged authorities to strengthen monitoring and accountability to assess the effectiveness of interventions and identify areas requiring additional investment.
Group Wants Continuity in Healthcare Reforms
As preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, Lokpobiri urged doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other health professionals to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
She argued that another term would provide an opportunity to consolidate ongoing reforms and sustain investment in healthcare.
According to her, the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognises the importance of healthcare to national productivity, economic development and the country’s future.
She maintained that achieving lasting improvements would require sustained funding, effective policy implementation and stronger partnerships among government institutions and professional associations.
Lokpobiri added that the ultimate measure of healthcare reforms should be their impact on Nigerians, including better access to treatment, improved patient outcomes, stronger health facilities and reduced financial pressure on households seeking medical care.
