Poco-A-Poco, The Renewed Hope Promise Is Taking Shape 

It’s a honour and a very rare privilege to stand in for my leader, my boss, and my nonpareil, Dr. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser/Spokesperson, Media & Policy Communications to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR at a one-day Strategic Health Summit themed “One Vision, One Future: Uniting Stakeholders for a Healthier Nigeria” organised by the Office of the Special Adviser on Health to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas.

The event would not have come at a right time giving the several innuendos from, largely, naysayers and misanthropes on non-visibility of benefits of the Renewed Hope agenda in the sector, especially on social media blogosphere. It provided ample opportunity for various participants sourced from critical stakeholders which include but not limited to MDAs, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations, Security agents, Organised Private Sector, youth demographic, non-governmental organisations, as well as members of the public to get first-hand information directly from the source, not on a conjectures or hearsays.

The summit further accentuates the importance of mutualism among all organs of government. It calls for more robust communications and collaborations among the various subsets that make up the government. Synergy plays very crucial role in achieving the goal congruence of the current leadership – which essentially is to rework the entire governance architecture of the country for the benefit of all.

In my laconic speech, I commended the recent efforts of the leadership of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to rid the country off the menace of fake and substandard drugs (products) but warned that beyond seizures, efforts must be made to ensure such seized items do not get back into the society/markets through some unscrupulous elements (as alleged) within the civil service.

The one-day epoch-making event highlighted several milestones, with many ‘firsts’ in the history of the country’s health sector under the current administration. Notably among these, but which have, grossly, been underreported is the over 93% increase allocation to the country’s National Primary Healthcare – this affects largely the grassroots with the highest population density. So, also is the training of over 40,240 first-rate health workers comprising doctors, nurses, midwives, CHEWs, and JCHEWs providing medical care to address brain drain – this is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, and notwithstanding the nationwide HPV vaccination of 12,345,572 girls across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

With the revelations at yesterday’s event, kudos must be given to Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare for leading the charge, and especially Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas, the Special Adviser to President and Commander-in-Chief on Health for following routinely and stricto censo the health blueprint in the Renewed Hope manifesto. A lot is happening in the health, but very little is known in the media space. And this is the gap the Office of the Special Adviser/Spokesperson, Media and Policy Communications at the State House is poised to bridge with its blueprint.

From all indications, Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is on a trajectory of positive renewal, marked leadership difference that’s people-centric and an economic revamp that will guarantee shared prosperity.

*OMOGBOLAHAN BABAWALE, writes from FCT, Abuja.*