By Adeola Badru

The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has urged the Federal Government to upgrade at least one tertiary or specialist medical centre in each of the country’s geopolitical zones to world-class standard.

Bishop Oke, who is also the Founder and Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries International and Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan, made the call at the weekend during the 2025 Dorcas Oke Hope Alive (DOHAL) Foundation Day public lecture held at the Precious Cornerstone University Hall.

He said such upgrades would significantly reduce the need for Nigerians—including public officeholders—to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The cleric, who founded the DOHAL Foundation, explained that the annual event is aimed at encouraging health reforms and educating young people on healthy living to prevent avoidable deaths.

“We don’t want any of them to die; we want all of them to live to fulfil their destiny,” he said.

He added that the foundation also uses its platform to draw government attention at all levels to the need for a more efficient healthcare system.

“We don’t want a situation where any president has to travel abroad for treatment whenever he falls ill.
We can empower our medical system here. If the Federal Government upgrades one tertiary or specialist medical centre in each geopolitical zone to global standard, any president or citizen can receive adequate treatment within the country,” he argued.

According to him, it is both undignifying and a national security risk for top government officials to rely on foreign hospitals for treatment.

Delivering the lecture titled “Quality Healthcare System and the Challenges of the African Child,” Professor Temitope Alonge, the first Professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery at the University of Ibadan, identified policy inconsistency as one of the major obstacles to Nigeria’s healthcare development.

He noted that successive governments often abandon existing programmes and launch new ones without continuity, leading to waste and stagnation.

Highlighting the six pillars of a quality healthcare system—effectiveness, safety, patient-centred care, timeliness, efficiency, and equity—Professor Alonge said strict adherence to these principles would strengthen outcomes, build public trust, reduce costs, and ensure sustainability.

He emphasised that access to quality healthcare is essential for the African child to reach their full potential.

“The primary healthcare centre remains the bedrock of health services and the anchor for universal health coverage. If Nigeria gets its primary healthcare right, the health of its children will definitely improve,” he said.

He also stressed the need to protect children’s rights and ensure accountability in cases of incest and child abuse.

“The health of the African child is a moral and developmental imperative. A nation that cannot guarantee the well-being of its children cannot sustain progress or dream of a viable future,” he stated.

He further noted that about 60 per cent of factors influencing health outcomes in Africa are social rather than medical, underscoring the importance of health literacy from the home to the community level.

In her remarks, the Executive Director of the DOHAL Initiative, Pastor (Mrs) Oluwafunmilayo Ajibulu, said the annual public enlightenment lectures, introduced in 2009, aim to address critical issues affecting the African child.

She explained that DOHAL was established to empower young people and honour the memory of Dorcas Oke, Bishop Oke’s daughter, who died of typhoid fever caused by fake drugs.

“Last year, she would have turned 40. To celebrate her posthumous birthday, the founder empowered 40 youths from the church. Only 14 of them gave progress reports, and they will now receive N250,000 each to further their ventures,” she said.

The foundation, she added, also undertakes medical and welfare outreaches in schools and provides emergency relief during disasters.

Dignitaries at the event included the Vice-Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University, Professor Timothy Adejumo; former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Professor Dapo Asaju; Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun (represented by Mrs Bola Dada); and Commissioner for Education, Mr Segun Olayiwola (represented by Mrs Oyetemi Ojo).

Also present were CSP Funke Ayenigbara of the State Criminal Investigation Department, NDLEA officials, NYSC members, and other stakeholders.