The Oyo State Government has defended its record in primary healthcare delivery following criticism by the campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, listing the recruitment of 3,933 health workers and other reforms as evidence of its performance.
The government described the criticism as misleading, arguing that its investments in healthcare financing, infrastructure, workforce development and maternal and child health had positioned Oyo among the leading states in primary healthcare reform.
It said the state had implemented the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy, established the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board in 2015 and transferred the management of primary healthcare personnel to the board.
The administration also highlighted its recruitment of 3,933 personnel across different cadres, including doctors, nurses, community health officers, pharmacists, nutrition officers, ambulance drivers and support workers.
On funding, the government said it had introduced a legal framework requiring 7.5 per cent of local government statutory allocations to be dedicated to primary healthcare programmes.
It also rejected allegations of poor performance under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), insisting that Oyo had met the programme’s requirements on counterpart funding, Direct Facility Funding and quarterly performance reporting.
According to the government, the state continues to receive BHCPF disbursements and has not been sanctioned for breaching the programme’s guidelines.
The government further said it had renovated and equipped several primary healthcare facilities across the state, with plans to ensure that every ward has access to functional healthcare services.
It added that the range of services available at primary healthcare facilities had been expanded to cover mental health, dental and eye care, adolescent and geriatric health, as well as school health services.
In support of its claims, the government presented figures showing improvements in child nutrition indicators.
It said child stunting dropped to 26.8 per cent in the 2025/2026 MDHS report from historical estimates of between 34.7 and 37 per cent.
Under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) programme, the state said stunting declined from about 34 per cent at baseline to 23.1 per cent.
The government also reported a decline in wasting prevalence from 14.4 per cent in the NDHS 2024 to 6.6 per cent in the MDHS 2025, while under-five underweight prevalence fell from 26.1 per cent to 17.7 per cent.
It said minimum meal frequency among children increased from 11.4 per cent to 39.4 per cent, while minimum acceptable diet rose from 5.8 per cent to 12.9 per cent.
The state also disclosed that it committed ₦227 million in UNICEF matching funds for Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation, while Vitamin A supplementation coverage among children reportedly increased from 39.1 per cent to 69.4 per cent.
On technology, the government said it had deployed computers and other digital equipment to primary healthcare facilities, trained health workers and begun implementing electronic medical record systems.
It added that hundreds of facilities were currently operating under the BHCPF programme, with additional centres recently approved after assessments by relevant federal authorities.
Other areas highlighted included improved disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and community participation through Ward Development Committees.
The government maintained that its healthcare interventions were measurable and verifiable, insisting that it would remain focused on improving access to quality healthcare rather than engaging in what it described as politically motivated criticism.