[PHOTOS] Hon Seun David Ogunniyi Adato Showcases Kwara’s Health Sector Gains at National Legislative Summit

Ogbeni Seun Ogunniyi, Chairman of the House Committee on Health in the Kwara State House of Assembly, drew national attention last week as he joined policymakers and global health actors at the 6th Annual Legislative Summit on Health held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The summit, convened by the National Assembly Joint Committees on Health and the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage (LNU), brought together federal and state lawmakers, development partners, and key stakeholders across Nigeria’s health sector.

Discussions centred on strengthening institutional and legislative support needed to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at both national and sub-national levels.

This year’s theme, “Building Responsive, Sustainable Health Systems: Leveraging Legislative Action for Digital Innovation, Human Capital, and Infrastructure for UHC,” spotlighted how technology, renewable energy, and strategic policymaking can transform healthcare delivery nationwide.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau, declared the event open, while the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, delivered the keynote address.

A major highlight was the lead presentation on renewable energy solutions for health facilities, delivered by the MD/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency, Alhaji Abba Abubakar Aliyu, on behalf of the Minister of Power.

The summit was convened by Senator Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Chair of the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage.

During a high-level panel session, Ogunniyi provided an in-depth update on Kwara State’s progress in implementing the National Legislative Health Agenda.

He outlined strategic reforms spearheaded under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, noting that the state has made measurable strides in expanding access, improving infrastructure, and strengthening workforce capacity.

Among the progress highlighted were:

Primary Healthcare Revitalization: Equipping PHCs across the state with analysers, beds, scales, essential drugs, and laptops for digital patient-data management. Ogunniyi also noted the drilling of boreholes to enhance water supply and the solarization of central cold stores in all 16 LGAs to secure vaccine cold-chain systems.

Healthcare Workforce Development: Sustained efforts to improve the welfare of health workers and ensure retention within the system.

The lawmaker further listed additional milestones achieved in the state’s health sector:

Accreditation of major hospitals for training nurses and pharmacy interns, a major step toward developing homegrown healthcare professionals.

Integrated Public Health Outreach Programmes offering free medical services to vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, children under five, and pregnant women.

Expanded collaboration with development partners to support training and capacity-building initiatives, especially in underserved communities.

The session drew a distinguished audience, including Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji; Hon. Dr. Adesola Adedayo; WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu; Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Nas; Coordinator of Nigerian Health Sector Reform, Dr. Muhammed Lecky; and Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr. Ejike Orji.

Ogunniyi’s contribution at the summit underscored Kwara State’s growing reputation as a sub-national leader in health reforms, driven by innovation, legislative commitment, and a firm focus on inclusive healthcare delivery.