False Narratives Debunked: Punch Shines Light on Tinubu’s Remarkable Healthcare Achievements

By Olabode Opeseitan

Against a backdrop of persistent negativity and political rhetoric, Punch Newspaper’s investigative reporting decisively dismantles the myth that “nothing is happening” in Nigeria’s health sector under the Tinubu administration. Rather than echoing empty claims, Punch grounds its story in field evidence—documenting the substantial, people-focused transformation sweeping across Northern Nigeria’s healthcare system. From the revitalization of hundreds of primary health centers to bold new investments in maternal care, disease control, and medical workforce training, this report captures a wave of change driven by deliberate policy, technical competence, and long-term vision.

Punch’s hallmark of rigorous journalism not only unearths the facts overlooked by armchair broadcasters, but also affirms the strategic leadership and clinical execution at the heart of Nigeria’s ongoing health sector renewal. As this narrative unfolds across communities, clinics, and teaching hospitals, it leaves little doubt: the legacy of progress is being written in real lives saved and systems rebuilt—regardless of what detractors claim.

Here are 20 key achievements from the story that highlight the depth and scope of progress:

1. Over 1,100 health centres upgraded in two years, with more than 500 located in Northern Nigeria.

2. Launch and execution of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Blueprint, prioritizing stronger governance, equitable access, local pharmaceutical production, and national health security.

3. Signing of the Health Sector Renewal Compact by governors, federal institutions, and international partners, resulting in a united national commitment to healthcare transformation.

4. Establishment of the Primary Healthcare revitalization agenda as the core of reforms, providing antenatal care, skilled deliveries, immunization, and emergency services.

5. Designation of 154 health facilities (majority in the North) to provide free obstetric treatment for women facing pregnancy complications.

6. Launch of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) to specifically address maternal death rates in the North.

7. Selection of 172 priority local government areas for urgent intervention, with 74% located in Northern Nigeria, focusing on boosting maternal and child health.

8. Achievement of over 13 million antenatal visits and more than 4,000 emergency caesarean deliveries at no cost since 2023.

9. Distribution of vital micronutrient supplements to millions of pregnant women across Northern Nigeria.

10. HPV vaccination for over 14 million adolescent girls nationwide, with massive outreach into remote areas of the North.

11. Subsidized kidney dialysis nationwide (from over N50,000 to N12,000), including major Northern medical centers.

12. Implementation of free fistula (VVF) surgeries for thousands of women across multiple Northern hospitals and specialist centers.

13. Pilot malaria vaccination programs—protecting over 100,000 children in Kebbi and additional northern states.

14. Synchronized polio campaign reaching and vaccinating more than 53 million children in the Lake Chad Basin, driving cases to a historic low.

15. Continuous HIV treatment for 1.9 million Nigerians, sustained even as donor funding declined.

16. Tuberculosis detection and treatment expanded to hundreds of thousands, with a 94% success rate.

17. Distribution of over 20 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to displaced and rural populations.

18. Use of geo-spatial tools in 6 northern states to plan and track immunization for over 7 million children and 1 million pregnant women in real time.

19. Training of more than 61,000 frontline health workers and nearly 4,000 health managers, plus the launch of a new health leadership fellowship including over 400 Northern youths.

20. Expansion of midwifery and nursing training—scaling nursing institution enrollment from 28,000 to 150,000 nationwide.

These outcomes prove that, with deliberate policies, political courage, and rigorous execution, transformation in Northern Nigeria’s healthcare system is not a pipe dream—it’s an unfolding reality. The rebirth of hope is not a myth but a method, mapped and measured across towns, villages, and families, captured with transparency by diligent journalism.

A similar revolution is unfolding in the healthcare sector across Southern Nigeria as well—underscoring that the Tinubu administration’s reforms are not regional, but truly national in scope. From urban centers to underserved coastal communities, the same blend of strategic investment, policy clarity, and executional discipline is steadily reshaping lives. This is not just a Northern success story—it is Nigeria’s healthcare rebirth in motion.