…Advocates strong primary health care system
Dr. Lola Adeyemi, Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, has declared that for Nigeria’s healthcare system to be better and perform optimally, there is the need for a stronger Primary Health Care (PHC) system where people can access care.
Dr. Adeyemi, who emerged as the 2025 Best & Brightest student at the Executive MBA of the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, told journalists in Abuja that there is the need for a strong primary health care to make Nigeria’s healthcare system better than yesterday, with everybody having the right to care.
The first class brain commended the efforts of the Federal Government for achieving much in the health sector, adding that there is the need to focus on getting the basics right which will take Nigeria farther from where it is today.
In the words of Adeyemi; “We cannot succeed if healthcare remains a privilege. Universal access must be the goal just as accountability and innovation will take us farther regarding getting the healthcare right.
“We also need Public Private Partnerships (PPP) using models where the government provides the regulatory backbone while the private sector and the non-public actors innovate service delivery,” she explained.
Speaking on how burden on cancer can be reduced in Nigeria, Dr. Lola Adeyemi said there is the need to prioritise prevention and early detection as well as scaling up screening and diagnostics and research, adding however, that prevention remains the most powerful tool.
In her words; “There is the need to scale up screening and diagnostics services. Everyone should have access to screening for cancer. It is cheaper and more affordable compared to caring for one or two people burdened with cancer, which affects their families and their source of livelihoods.
“Promoting research and clinical trials is such an important part of cancer care that a lot of times we don’t realise because we need locally made data and interventions for us to understand our unique cancer patterns in this population and to make that difference that we need for cancer control to succeed.
“And if we can embed cancer control in our universal health care coverage agenda, which we are trying to do now, we will not only save lives but will also reduce the long-term economic and social cost of the disease,” she said.
Dr Adeyemi assured that she will use her knowledge to impact the health sector positively, emphasising that the MBA has sharpened her leadership strategy and system thinking which is an opportunity to change policies and measure impact for Nigeria.
According to her; “I see innovation, data and partnership as the areas between where we are and the health system that we deserve.
“The biggest lesson gained during the MBA was recognising that effective leadership does not require one person having all the answers or skills, but rather understanding strengths and limitations.
“My role is to identify and empower others with the right skill sets. Emphasising strategic agility, cross-sector collaboration, and investing in human capital has significantly improved my ability to successfully lead complex international projects and expedite the digital transformation of health research in Nigeria,” she stated.
