Youth leaders and health advocates in Ondo State have called for greater inclusiveness and stronger collaboration with government at all levels to drive meaningful transformation in Nigeria’s health sector.
They also urged authorities to deepen engagement with youth organisations in policy formulation and implementation, stressing that young people must be actively involved in shaping health governance.
The call was made on Saturday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during the final phase of the NextGen Health Governance Project organised by the Get Healthy Africa Initiative, with support from the Nigeria Youth Future Fund.
Speaking at the event, Project Lead and Executive Director of GHAI, Mr. Faysol Oluwakemi, said low youth participation in health decision-making has continued to limit progress in the sector.
He said the initiative was designed to equip young people with knowledge of health governance and encourage them to contribute meaningfully to healthcare delivery.
He said, “We realised that youth involvement in health policies and decision-making is very low, largely because many young people are unaware of their rights, their impact, and the role they can play in the health system.”
Oluwakemi added that the energy and innovation of young people must be channelled towards strengthening the health system.
“The energy, innovation, and technological know-how that we have in youths should be channelled towards impacting the health system positively. We must be part of decision-making and contribute ideas that will strengthen the sector,” he said.
He called on both state and federal governments to work more closely with youth groups, stressing that inclusive governance remains key to solving systemic challenges.
“You can’t decide for a community what it lacks without engaging them. Communities understand their healthcare needs, especially at the primary healthcare level. Youth inclusion can make a significant difference because young people are deeply connected to their communities,” he added.
Also speaking, the National President of the Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum, Adeola Joshua, described Nigeria’s healthcare system as overstretched due to population growth and welfare challenges affecting health workers.
He urged young people to move beyond criticism and focus on providing solutions.
“If there will be real impact in governance, youths must be involved. We are not the leaders of tomorrow anymore—we are the leaders of today,” he said.
Joshua added that young people should engage more in digital health innovation and advocacy rather than limiting themselves to complaints.
“Youth should not only criticise government policies but also come forward with practical solutions, especially through digital health innovation and advocacy,” he said.
In her remarks, the representative of the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission, Catherine Ogbunjebi, described the initiative as timely and impactful, urging youths to take more proactive roles in their communities.
She said, “This initiative is inspiring and shows youths how they can positively impact the health system, even within their careers. We look forward to having more of such engagements.”
“We need to be the change we keep talking about. Instead of just complaining on social media, youths should engage at the grassroots level, especially through community development structures, to drive real change,” she added.
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