Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has called on political parties and candidates preparing for the 2027 elections to make healthcare a central campaign issue, arguing that Nigeria’s political conversation cannot be considered serious if it excludes the state of the country’s health system.
Akande made the call during the My Take segment of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, where he questioned why healthcare was not receiving greater attention as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said political campaigns were already gathering momentum, with posters appearing and campaign messages dominating public spaces and the airwaves.
‘In about four months, we will have the elections. And posters are already going up. Jingles are flooding the airwaves. And the politicians are making promises of rescue and renewals. But I want to ask today: Where is the healthcare in that conversation?’
According to Akande, healthcare should not only become a national issue when a prominent person dies or a tragedy involving a well-known family attracts public attention.
He cited recent comments by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who said in a recent New York Times interview that her feelings towards Nigeria had changed following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, after a medical emergency in Nigeria.
Asked whether Nigeria still felt close to her heart, Adichie said, ‘My feelings toward Nigeria have changed. I do not want to go back to Nigeria.’
Akande said the statement should prompt a broader discussion about the condition of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
‘That sentence should shock this country and all of us in our tracks. This is a woman who has spent her entire career writing Nigeria into the world’s imaginations. And now, Nigeria, through its healthcare system has broken her bond.’
However, he stressed that the issue went beyond the experience of a prominent writer, arguing that ordinary Nigerians faced similar challenges without attracting national attention.
Akande also referenced the case of Aishatu Umar, a mother of five in Kano who died after surgical scissors were left inside her body following an operation at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre.
The Kano State Hospitals Management Board said a preliminary investigation confirmed medical negligence and announced the suspension of three personnel involved in the case, while the matter was referred to the state Medical Ethics Committee.
Akande asked how many similar cases might occur without receiving public attention.
‘So, I ask: how many Aishatu Umars do we have who never made the news? We have a system failure. There are people that are dying regularly.’
He questioned whether hospitals across the country had the basic infrastructure and systems required to provide safe and effective care.
‘Do our hospitals have electricity? Do they have oxygen? Emergency drugs at 2am? Can patients get their records when they need it? Is there an independent body that diligently investigates complaints? And when negligence is proven, is there justice indeed?’
Akande called on President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Health, the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to make healthcare a national priority.
He argued that the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda would be difficult to achieve if healthcare facilities remained incapable of providing safe and reliable services.
‘Mr President, your Renewed Hope agenda cannot succeed if the hospitals that are supposed to keep Nigerians alive are places where hope dies.’
He proposed a shift in the way governments measure progress in the health sector, saying the focus should move beyond the number of hospitals and other physical infrastructure constructed.
‘We should stop counting buildings and start counting functionality when we talk about healthcare.’
According to him, governments should assess whether existing facilities have the personnel, equipment, medicines, electricity and systems required to function effectively.
He also identified human capital as a critical component of healthcare reform, calling for greater investment in training and retention of medical professionals.
‘We should make human capital the central reform – train people, train them well and keep them in the system.’
Akande also called for the establishment of stronger patient-safety mechanisms, arguing that access to healthcare should not depend on a patient’s social status or public profile.
‘We should build a patient’s safety system where a market woman in Aba can use and have access to healthcare. We shouldn’t have to be famous to even be heard.’
He said governments and healthcare administrators needed to create mechanisms through which patients could report complaints, have them independently investigated and obtain redress where wrongdoing was established.
Akande also identified the migration of Nigerian medical professionals as an issue that should form part of the political debate ahead of 2027.
He challenged presidential and governorship candidates to explain how they intended to address the shortage and retention of healthcare professionals and improve working conditions within the sector.
Akande said political parties should go beyond broad campaign promises and provide specific plans for improving hospitals, protecting patients and retaining medical professionals.
‘And, as we head into 2027, this must become a campaign issue.’
He said the coming election season should provide an opportunity for voters to demand concrete healthcare commitments from candidates rather than allowing political discussions to focus exclusively on personalities, alliances and electoral calculations.
‘We cannot spend the next months debating only politics and personalities while the very infrastructure that keeps our human capital alive is collapsing – the healthcare system.’
He urged every presidential and governorship candidate to explain how they would improve hospitals and patient safety and address the loss of medical professionals to other countries.
‘Every presidential candidate, every governorship candidate must tell us: what is your plan for our hospitals? What is your plan for patient safety? What is your plan for stopping brain drain in the medical area?’
Akande concluded by linking healthcare reform to the broader question of Nigeria’s human capital and the ability of citizens to live productive lives.
‘If healthcare is not on the ballot, then we are not having a serious conversation as a people.’