The Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, FCA, has been named the “Health Transformation Governor of 2026” by Business Times Nigeria in recognition of his administration’s sweeping reforms in the health sector.
The award, presented under the theme “A Celebration of Excellence, Vision and Impact”, was conferred on the Governor at a ceremony held on Friday at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Director General and Chief Executive of the OSRC Media Group, Hon. Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, represented the Governor at the Lagos event and formally presented the award to him today at the Government House, Akure. The Lagos ceremony drew governors and dignitaries from across the country, including representatives of the Governors of Lagos, Bauchi and Enugu States.
Receiving the honour, Governor Aiyedatiwa dedicated the award to the people of Ondo State. In his remarks delivered through Hon. Odusola-Stevenson, the Governor said the recognition reflects the impact of his administration’s “OUR EASE” seven-point agenda, which has placed health, infrastructure and human capital at the centre of governance.
Hon. Odusola-Stevenson traced the Governor’s resolve to his roots in the riverine communities of Ilaje, where, he said, the young Aiyedatiwa and his peers once had to swim across creeks with their books balanced on their heads, only to change into uniforms again before entering the classroom. “That experience,” he noted, “is why this administration understands what it means to be left behind, and why it is determined that no community, no matter how remote, will be left behind in access to health.”
The most visible gains have come in health. The administration has embarked on the renovation and construction of health facilities across the state. The majority of primary health centres have been completed, while others are currently undergoing completion under a World Bank-supported IMPACT project. The work includes new consulting rooms, wards, staff quarters, solar power and tricycle ambulances, and it is being rolled out across the 203 wards of the state.
To address workforce shortages worsened by migration, the government has issued employment letters to over 2,000 health professionals across all 18 local government areas.
In a landmark welfare move, Governor Aiyedatiwa also approved better pay and improved allowances for doctors, nurses and other health workers. With this approval, Ondo became the first state in the South-West and among the first in Nigeria to implement the improved package. Officials say the policy has already begun attracting more doctors and specialists to work in the state.
At the tertiary level, the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, UNIMEDTH, is undergoing its most ambitious upgrade since inception. This includes the construction of a 500-bedded ward expansion and a new 250-bedded hospital complex that is 93 percent complete. The hospital has also taken delivery of modern equipment including a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, a 160-slice CT scanner, 3D digital mammography, 4D ultrasound, digital X-ray and super-specialty theatre equipment.
Access and affordability have also been prioritised. The Abiyamo Maternal and Child Health Insurance Programme continues to provide free antenatal care and safe delivery services, with more than 56,000 beneficiaries and over 19,000 safe deliveries recorded. The Orange Health Insurance Scheme, ORANGHIS, has enrolled 105,116 people across formal and informal sectors, and retirees have now been brought into the scheme with premiums fully paid by the state government. To further expand capacity, the Governor announced a N1 billion Hospital Intervention Fund dedicated to modernising facilities outside of routine budgetary spending.
Hon. Odusola-Stevenson said these interventions align with the administration’s broader economic agenda. He cited the facilitation of a Free Trade Zone with Dangote to drive industrialisation and job creation, as well as targeted support for youth entrepreneurship through the Office of the Special Adviser on Entrepreneurship. He also pointed to the transformation of OSRC Media Group under his leadership, from a station that once transmitted for four hours daily to a 24-hour broadcaster now available on free-to-air and on Moreplex Cable TV, as an example of the Governor’s push to modernise public institutions.
In his closing remarks, the OSRC DG described the award as both a recognition and a responsibility. “Greatness is not inherited. It is forged in service,” he said. “From the riverbanks of Ilaje to the highest office, Dr. Aiyedatiwa has shown that understanding the people is the first step to healing them. This award is a mirror of what has been done and a mandate to do more.”
Business Times said the honour was conferred on Governor Aiyedatiwa for demonstrating visionary leadership and measurable impact in repositioning public health delivery, with results that are improving lives across Ondo State and setting a benchmark for subnational governance in Nigeria.