By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said no health reform will succeed in Nigeria without the active participation of traditional rulers.
The President stated this in his remarks at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health at the Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Tinubu said his presence at the summit was to give meaning to their gathering, adding that the war against preventable diseases is everyone’s responsibility.
“And I’m here as a leader to respectfully say that the responsibility is yours as traditional leaders. We’ve listened to this statement of commitment. It is with great honor for me to have listened to you carefully making this commitment to improve the health quality of Nigerians in your domains.
“I’ve listened carefully, and I work with the Coordinating Minister for Health, Professor Pate, to say thank you in the presence of all Nigerians here present for the team leadership that you have demonstrated—quality leadership, commitment to duty, and effort to get Nigeria healed. We will not let you down. You are doing a good job.
“Today, in this hall, we have an intergenerational, institutional, and interfaith gathering—a meeting of wisdom, faith, courage, and youthful energy. The gathering in itself is a symbol of Nigeria. We are building an inclusive, united, and committed nation to renew the welfare of all our people.
“The key word here is hope. Nothing good is achieved without hope, and we pledge that we will do everything possible. I refer to November last year, during the health sector joint annual review, when we expanded the universal health coverage compact to include traditional and religious leaders, civil society, and the private sector. Your strong presence here today underscores a key truth: no health reform in Nigeria can succeed without you. You are trusted voices bridging the government and the people, interpreting national policy, and serving as moral anchors.
“Your engagement is central to the actualization of the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. We recognize that the success of our goal—saving lives, reducing physical and financial pain, and providing quality health for all Nigerians—depends on your leadership.
“The President said traditional rulers have remained steady in sustaining the trust of their subjects, bringing clarity, faith, and assurance in the face of misinformation.He thanked the traditional rulers for being a stabilizing force in national development. According to him:
“A Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health is deliberate and strategic. It is the foundation of a new national alliance for health that we want to foster, because the government cannot achieve the goal of reform alone. We are asking for your partnership:
“One, to strengthen maternal and newborn health, because far too many mothers and newborns die from preventable causes.
“Two, to improve immunization and outbreak response, because communities listen to you before they listen to the government, and you are often the detectors and responders to any epidemic.
“Three, to strengthen nutrition and food security, because you can impact household daily decisions, rally the community to participate in social actions to avert food insecurity, and ensure that support reaches the people who need it most.
“We want comprehensive reform, and we are able to communicate that to the last man. This is commitment in action. Our administration has taken bold steps to rebuild trust through transparency and decisive action. We just need your support, and I’m very appreciative of your commitment here today.
“You have the support of this government. You have the commitment of state governments—they are your subjects too. Call them back home. Work with them. Work with local governments, including councillors and the health fellows here present. We work well with you.
“Let’s find solutions to areas of conflict, respect each other’s cultures and the values that we believe in. We can move Nigeria forward greater and faster, and we can achieve the goal. It is in your hands.
“We are working with state governors, local government chairmen, and other partners to aggressively improve the functionality of our primary healthcare facilities across Nigeria. Check the ones in your area.
“Send a message out there to look at those neighborhood health facilities, and if they don’t exist, write to the local government, write to the state government, write to us—we will respond.”
Continuing, he said: “I heard that you’ve touched on the most important foundation of malnutrition—food banks and other areas of challenge—this morning. Mine is to give assurance to you that we will do it with you.
“The President said his administration introduced the National Health Fellowship Programme in 2025, meritoriously selecting bright young Nigerians from all 774 local governments to serve as embedded system operators.
“They are here ready to do the job with you,” he said, adding, “I am proud of their contribution to national development, including improved coordination, enhanced data use, the fight against maternal death and childhood illnesses, campaigns against drug abuse, and restoring help in health services.
“To the generality of our people on the challenges of terrorism, I must comment on this before you. Thank you for your collaboration. Thank you for being informative. Thank you for your perseverance.
“The economic reform going on is indeed yielding good results. Nigeria is out of the dark tunnel in macroeconomic stability. The challenge of banditry and terrorism will be defeated. With your cooperation, we are working around the clock, engaging all possible partnerships. We will win the battle. Thank you very much. God bless Nigeria.”
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