By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been named the “Health Transformation Governor of 2026” by Business Times Nigeria in recognition of his administration’s reforms and investments in the state’s health sector.
The award, presented under the theme, “A Celebration of Excellence, Vision and Impact,” was conferred on Aiyedatiwa at a ceremony held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the OSRC Media Group, Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, represented the governor at the Lagos ceremony and formally presented the award to him at the Government House, Akure.
The event in Lagos attracted governors and dignitaries from across the country, including representatives of the governors of Lagos, Bauchi and Enugu states.
Receiving the honour, Aiyedatiwa dedicated the recognition to the people of Ondo State, saying it reflected the impact of his administration’s “OUR EASE” seven-point agenda, which places healthcare, infrastructure and human capital development among its priorities.
The governor, through Odusola-Stevenson, said his administration remained committed to ensuring that residents, regardless of their location, had access to quality healthcare services.
The OSRC DG said Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to improving healthcare was partly shaped by his experience growing up in the riverine communities of Ilaje, where access to basic amenities was difficult.
He recalled that the governor and his peers had, as children, sometimes crossed creeks with their books on their heads before changing into their school uniforms.
According to him, the experience reinforced the governor’s determination to ensure that no community is left behind in the provision of essential services.
Among the major interventions cited in support of the award is the renovation and construction of health facilities across the state.
The administration has completed the majority of primary healthcare centres, while others are being completed under the World Bank-supported IMPACT project. The projects include consulting rooms, wards, staff quarters, solar power installations and tricycle ambulances across the state’s 203 wards.
The government has also issued employment letters to more than 2,000 health professionals across the 18 local government areas in response to manpower shortages worsened by the migration of healthcare workers.
Aiyedatiwa also approved improved remuneration and allowances for doctors, nurses and other health professionals in the state.
The administration said the improved package had helped make Ondo more attractive to medical professionals, with more doctors and specialists reportedly being drawn to the state.
At the tertiary healthcare level, the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, UNIMEDTH, is undergoing major expansion and modernisation.
The project includes a 500-bed ward expansion and a new 250-bed hospital complex, which was said to be 93 per cent complete.
The hospital has also received modern medical equipment, including a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, 160-slice CT scanner, 3D digital mammography, 4D ultrasound, digital X-ray equipment and super-specialty theatre equipment.
The administration has equally expanded access to healthcare through the Abiyamo Maternal and Child Health Insurance Programme, which provides free antenatal care and safe delivery services.
More than 56,000 beneficiaries have reportedly accessed the programme, with over 19,000 safe deliveries recorded.
The Orange Health Insurance Scheme, ORANGHIS, has also enrolled 105,116 people from the formal and informal sectors, while retirees have been incorporated into the scheme with their premiums fully funded by the state government.
The governor has further announced a N1bn Hospital Intervention Fund to support the modernisation of healthcare facilities outside routine budgetary allocations.
Odusola-Stevenson said the health sector interventions formed part of the administration’s wider development strategy, which also includes industrialisation, job creation and youth entrepreneurship.
He cited the facilitation of a Free Trade Zone with Dangote and support for youth entrepreneurship as examples of initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities in the state.
He also highlighted the transformation of the OSRC Media Group under his leadership, noting that the broadcaster had moved from transmitting for four hours daily to operating as a 24-hour broadcaster available on free-to-air television and Moreplex Cable TV.
Describing the award as both recognition and responsibility, Odusola-Stevenson said the honour should encourage the governor to do more in improving the lives of residents.
“Greatness is not inherited. It is forged in service,” he said, adding that Aiyedatiwa’s experience and understanding of the challenges faced by residents had influenced his administration’s approach to governance.
Business Times said the award was conferred on Aiyedatiwa in recognition of what it described as visionary leadership and measurable impact in repositioning public healthcare delivery in Ondo State.
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