Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has reiterated the importance of investing in the health and education sectors of the national economy, saying both sectors are critical to national development.
Mr Obi, in a post via his X account on Tuesday, also announced his donation of N10 million to Grimard College of Nursing Sciences, Anyigba, Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria.
Mr Obi said that by investing in the education and health sectors, the country could address the various challenges that inhibit its growth and development.
He urged governments at all levels and donor agencies to prioritise these sectors in their investment plans, although he noted that greater attention should be paid to the primary health care subsector.
PHOTO CREDIT @ Peter Obi's Page X https://x.com/PeterObi/status/1810539865542381900/photo/1
Brain drain
The former Anambra State governor also spoke on the consequences of the continued exodus of Nigerian health workers abroad, saying development can also be discouraged through adequate investment in the sector.
The exodus of workers has worsened the uneven distribution of the ratio of workers to the population seeking medical care in Nigeria. Authorities previously revealed that the country now has only 55,000 licensed doctors to serve its growing population of more than 200 million.
In the past five years, more than 16,000 doctors have left the country and around 17,000 have been transferred.
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In 2023 alone, more than 900 resident doctors left the system and another 1,417 professionals were interested in leaving.
On this, Mr. Obi recommended the adoption of proactive measures that improve the well-being and knowledge of health workers.
“As experts continue to warn of a serious and looming shortage of nurses, we must remain proactive and invest in their training. That way, we will be able to have enough staff for our domestic healthcare sector and export more to the global community.
“Our commitment remains to build a New Nigeria that offers Nigerians access to good healthcare and educational opportunities,” he said.
Donations
Mr Obi said he made the donation during a visit to the institution on Monday.
He wrote: “In my continued commitment to building a better nation through investment in critical areas of human and national development, health and education, I yesterday visited Grimard College of Nursing Sciences, Anyigba, Kogi State where I gave them my support of N10 million.
PHOTO CREDIT @ Peter Obi's Page X https://x.com/PeterObi/status/1810539865542381900/photo/1
“Grimard College of Nursing Sciences, Kogi State has continued to play a very important role in the nation’s primary health care sector through the training and support of health professionals who make a difference in the society.”
He said investing in younger generations is beneficial to society and the nation’s progress. “I am particularly concerned about the training of nurses because they are at the heart of our primary healthcare delivery.”