A consultant public health physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Tanimola Akande, has called for stronger leadership and improved health financing, saying Kwara’s health indices remain below 50 per cent.

Mr Akande made the call in Ilorin during a presentation at the 2026 annual general meeting and scientific conference of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara chapter.

Speaking on the theme, “Medicine, Leadership and Public Policy: The Political Influence on Healthcare,” he emphasised the critical role of governance and policy in determining health outcomes.

According to him, Kwara recorded a budget performance rate of 48.3 per cent in 2025, reflecting the level of implementation of approved government expenditure.

He said the total budget implemented during the period, of which 13.3 per cent was allocated to the health sector, indicated relatively encouraging performance in health financing.

“Of the total budget implemented, 13.3 per cent was allocated to the health sector, indicating a fairly good performance in health financing,” he said.

Mr Akande explained that although funds were budgeted for healthcare programmes, actual releases fell significantly below approved allocations, limiting the sector’s capacity to achieve optimal results.

According to him, only about half of the approved healthcare allocation was released, affecting programme implementation and service delivery to residents.

“They were able to release just about half. In spite of just giving half, they are doing fairly well; imagine if they had given everything.

“That means they will do more and it will touch lives,” he said.

The public health expert commended Yobe and Bauchi states for exceeding the Abuja Declaration target on health budget allocation, describing the achievement as commendable.

He emphasised that adequate funding remained essential for effective policy implementation, warning that insufficient resources would continue to hinder healthcare delivery and development.

Mr Akande, who also teaches at the University of Ilorin, said the conference theme was timely because leadership decisions and public policies directly influenced healthcare outcomes.

He said that despite the expertise and qualifications of healthcare professionals, political leadership and policy direction largely determined the effectiveness of health systems.

“With all the years put into acquiring knowledge and qualifications, ultimately, to get good outcomes, it is the kind of leadership and policies of the political class that still determine the outcome.

“All doctors are encouraged to note this and see that it is not just things that we do in our clinics. It is beyond that,” he said.

He urged governments at all levels to increase budgetary allocations to health and prioritise transparency, accountability and efficient utilisation of available resources.

Mr Akande also encouraged medical professionals to take up leadership roles in governance, emphasising that clinicians had a responsibility to influence policies affecting public health.

Earlier, chairman of NMA in Kwara, AbdulRahman Afolabi, described the conference theme as timely and significant to current healthcare realities in Nigeria.

“It reminds us that the quality of healthcare enjoyed by any nation is determined not only by the competence of its healthcare professionals.

“It is also determined by the quality of leadership, governance, public policy and political commitment devoted to healthcare,” he said.

Mr Afolabi said decisions relating to financing, workforce planning, infrastructure development, health insurance coverage, emergency preparedness and digital transformation significantly shape healthcare outcomes.

He added that political leadership remained one of the strongest determinants of an effective, responsive and resilient healthcare system capable of meeting citizens’ needs.

(NAN)