The Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services, Hon Amos Mogaji has lauded Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti for his administration’s transformative and exemplary approach to Healthcare development.
Hon. Magaji gave the commendation when he led a delegation of the House Committee members on a courtesy visit to Governor Otti at Nvosi, Isialangwa South LGA.
The Committee Chairman described Abia State as one of Nigeria’s leading success stories in the Health Sector, following their oversight visit in the State to assess the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and other Healthcare interventions.
The House Committee’s visit is part of a nationwide assessment of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund ahead of a potential increase in its funding from the consolidated revenue fund.
Hon Magaji said the lawmakers were impressed by what they saw on the ground, noting that Abia has undergone a remarkable transformation in Healthcare delivery and Urban Renewal.
The Lawmaker also commended the Governor for surpassing the Abuja Declaration by allocating over 15% of the State’s Budget to Health, the State Government’s revitalisation of Primary Healthcare Centres, Specialist Hospitals, and achieving the accreditation of the Abia State University College of Medicine.
He highlighted the State’s drastic reduction in Maternal mortality rate from over 1,000 deaths per 100,000 births in 2016 to 139 in 2025 as a key indicator of progress.
“We have been to over 30 States of the Federation to see whether the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund is working and I can say clearly that Abia State is one of the great success stories we are hearing in the Health Sector.
“As of 2016, Maternal Mortality in this State was very high. Today, in 2025, it has dropped to about 139 per 100,000 births. In less than ten years, that is a massive achievement.
“Your Excellency, i want to thank you for your attention to Health”, Hon Magaji said.
The House Committee Chairman on Health Services, explained that the Committee’s visit to Abia State was driven by the National Assembly’s plan to increase the BHCPF allocation from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
He noted that lawmakers must first ascertain that the fund was working in the various States before any further steps could be taken.
Responding, Governor Otti stressed that the ultimate goal of his administration was to ensure that every citizen who walks into a Healthcare facility has the highest possible chance of survival.
He added that the State Government was deliberately creating an enabling environment to attract and retain skilled Healthcare Professionals from the diaspora.
Governor Otti revealed that Doctors including a Neurosurgeon were returning from the United States and other countries to work in Abia.
He said that his administration’s 15% budget allocation to Health and approach to Healthcare was rooted in the belief that health spending was a social obligation not an investment measured by financial returns.
The Governor explained that conceptualising Healthcare spending as an “investment” is misguided and insisted that it should be viewed instead as essential social infrastructure.
“I’ve always had the view that when people look at Healthcare financing as investment, they miss the point. I would rather continue to call it healthcare expenditure.
“Because anytime you talk about investment, the next thing to think about is the returns. So if your mindset is about investment then if the returns are not there then you will not continue to invest.
“Healthcare, from our own point of view, is infrastructure, social infrastructure, just like we build roads. I don’t have any information that there is any road anywhere, including the toll roads, that make profit”, he said.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, explained that the Federal Lawmakers were in the State to verify ongoing reforms in the Health sector, particularly the utilisation of the BHCPF among others.
Prof Uche noted that the Otti led administration is the first since the 2001 Abuja Declaration to consistently allocate over 15% of the State’s Budget to Health.
He explained that the funding has driven the ‘Project Ekwueme initiative to renovate and equip 200 Primary Healthcare Centres across the State’s 184 wards.
Prof. Uche also revealed that the State’s Health Insurance Scheme now has over 185,000 enrollees with a target of 500,000 this year and one million by next year.
The Commissioner also highlighted the construction of Specialist Hospitals in Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South to reverse medical tourism adding that the present administration has also instituted a new salary scale for Health Workers, including the training and retraining of workers as well as achieved significant reductions in Maternal, infant mortality rates.
He cited Abia’s top ranking in the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge as validation, noting that the Governor “is championing a transformative healthcare agenda that the whole country should learn something from”.
Earlier, the Abia State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Health, Hon. Emeka Obioma, noted the visit by the Committee was statutory adding that their preliminary engagement at the Ministry of Health showed the Abia State has performed exceptionally well, even beyond expectations.
