Health
Osun’s rural PHCs:Despite billions of naira spent, challenges remain
The overgrown grasses are the first sign of neglect at Agbinpa Primary Healthcare Centre in Ede South Local Government Area of Osun State. They cover parts of the compound, brushing against walls with peeling paint and deep cracks. Sections of the facility have become unusable, while others have fallen into disrepair after years without major rehabilitation.
Next to the health centre stands a staff quarters commissioned in March 1999, a reminder of how long the facility has served the community and how little has changed over the years.
Getting to the facility was difficult. It took this reporter about an hour on a commercial motorcycle from Osogbo to Agbinpa, travelling along long stretches of uneven rural roads.
It was in late May, and Rashidat Lamidi was attending to patients. For years, she has run the health centre as its sole caregiver and administrator. Mrs Lamidi attends to pregnant women, children, and other patients, responds to emergency calls even after leaving work, clears the surroundings and, at times, buys basic consumables when they are out of stock.
“Even if I’m at home and somebody comes to call me because a child is sick or a woman wants to give birth, I will come,” she said.
Mrs Lamidi said the state government pays her salary regularly. But it does not extend the same attention to the facility, despite many politicians and government officials visiting over the years, particularly during election periods.
“They come here, but they don’t do anything.”
The impact of the deteriorating infrastructure extends beyond the building itself.
Because the facility has no functional laboratory, patients who need basic blood tests have to travel about 26 kilometres to Ede. Although a few delivery instruments were available during PREMIUM TIMES’ visit, they were inadequate for the number of patients the facility serves. Women in labour buy gloves for the nurse and buy methylated spirit and other consumables before receiving care.
As the only official, Mrs Lamidi is concerned about the health centre’s future after her retirement.
“I don’t know what will happen to this place,” she said.
Residents count the cost
The poor condition of the PHC has not diminished its importance for the residents of Agbinpa. It has only made healthcare harder to access and more expensive.
Iya Beji, a woman who gave birth to each of her five children at the facility, praised the commitment of the lone nurse.
“The nurse is good. It is only because of the condition of the hospital that people do not come here,” she said.
According to the woman, patients who need scans are referred to Ede, where transport alone costs about N6,000.
“If someone is sick, what can we do? We have to go.”
Abdulrahaman Babatunde, another resident, said commercial motorcycles rarely use the route because of its condition.
“If you hire a bike, it can cost N6,000,” he said. “If the rider waits for you, they charge as much as N10,000.”
Mr Babatunde said farmers also suffer when taking produce to nearby markets, limiting economic activity in the community.
Electricity is another challenge for the locals. Private operators of solar charging points charge between N400 and N700 to charge their phones or power banks.
“There has been no light here for a long time,” Mr Babatunde said. “The poles and wires are still there, but there is no electricity.”
Another community, another barrier
About an hour’s ride from Osogbo, Abudo PHC in Egbedore LGA presents a different, but equally troubling picture.
Here, the biggest obstacle to healthcare begins long before patients reach the facility.
The road to the community is so bad that commercial motorcyclists avoid it. When this reporter arrived around 1 p.m., the facility was locked.
Through dusty louvre windows, patient registers and other documents could be seen scattered across the rooms. Cobwebs hung from parts of the building, suggesting some sections had remained unused for some time.
No health worker was on the premises. Instead, telephone numbers had been written on a wall for anyone who needed them to call.
This reporter dialled the numbers repeatedly, but the calls either failed to connect or the phones were switched off.
Chief Alao, a community leader, said Abudo’s PHC serves the community as well as several neighbouring settlements.
He said years of poor road infrastructure have isolated the area, affecting access to healthcare and residents’ livelihoods.
“This road was not constructed by the government,” he said. “The community did it ourselves, although there are still many potholes.”
Kemi Olawole, a palm kernel processor, said the facility refers patients whom they cannot manage to a health facility in Ede, about 16km from Abudo.
Ms Olawole added that residents now depend on a vendor who transports orthodox medicines into the community on a motorcycle because there is no pharmacy in Abudo.
Without him, she said, many residents would have to travel outside the community to buy essential medicines.
For another resident, Kehinde Olumide, who also works in the palm kernel oil trade, transportation remains one of the community’s biggest challenges.
“We hardly see motorcycles here,” he said. “And when you get one, it is very expensive because of the road.”
A renovated facility, familiar problems
About 36 kilometres away, in Ekusa, Odo-Otin LGA, residents said the community’s PHC was renovated in 2020.
An inscription on the building states that the project was carried out by the Odo-Otin Local Government and commissioned on 15 March 2020.
But six years later, many of the problems affecting healthcare delivery remain in the community.
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the facility, parts of the premises were overgrown with weeds. The hospital’s borehole was not functioning.
Unlike Agbinpa, where the lone nurse openly discussed the facility’s challenges, health workers in Ekusa declined to speak. One who requested anonymity said they were not permitted to comment on issues relating to PHCs.
“Many people have come here asking questions,” she said. “If it is something I cannot talk about, it is better I don’t say anything. During our meetings, we are always told that if anyone asks questions about PHC, we should refer them to the appropriate authorities.”
She directed this reporter to the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Agency, explaining that decisions regarding the facility were handled centrally.
Residents later explained that health workers’ reluctance to speak was not unusual. According to them, the facility typically closes around 4 p.m. Patients who arrive later have to wait until the next day or travel to another community for treatment.
A woman who identified herself as Mojisola said residents seek treatment elsewhere whenever the facility cannot meet their medical needs.
Abdulrahaman Wasiu, a spiritual and youth leader in the community, said nothing had changed since the 2020 renovation.
“People only came to paint the building,” he said. “Apart from that, nothing much changed.”
Pointing to his hand, which he said had once suffered a dislocation, Mr Wasiu recalled visiting the health centre for treatment but leaving without receiving the care he needed.
According to him, the facility has existed for as long as he could remember, but has remained chronically understaffed.
When Mr Wasiu accompanied this reporter back to the facility, they met another man wearing an “Imole cap” who identified himself as a supporter of Governor Ademola Adeleke. He confirmed the health workers’ gag and that enquiries should be directed to the Osun State PHCDB.
While acknowledging that the facility required attention, he said Governor Adeleke would intervene if he became aware of its condition.
Following the money
The problems observed during PREMIUM TIMES’ visits suggest that, despite years of government investment and prior reporting highlighting similar concerns, many of the challenges facing health facilities remain unresolved.
The conditions at Agbinpa PHC stand in sharp contrast to the Osun State government’s growing financial commitment to healthcare.
Between 2020 and 2026, the state budgeted about N157.74 billion for the health sector, according to an analysis of approved budget documents by PREMIUM TIMES.
In 2020, the state approved N7.2 billion for health, representing 6.02 per cent of the N119.55 billion budget. The allocation rose to N9.8 billion (8.93 per cent) in 2021 and N12.4 billion (9.56 per cent) in 2022.
Health spending reached N17.92 billion, representing 12.96 per cent of the state’s N138.27 billion budget in 2023, the highest proportion recorded during the review period.
Although the percentage later declined, the nominal value of health allocations continued to increase. The state budgeted N18.6 billion for health in 2024, N32.58 billion in 2025 and N59.24 billion in the approved 2026 budget.
Budget implementation data reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES also points in the same direction.
According to BudgIT’s State of States reports, Osun’s capital expenditure rose from N18.7 billion in 2020 to N118.4 billion in 2024. The reports also show that actual health expenditure increased from N10.6 billion to N17.7 billion over the same period, while the Ministry of Health and Human Services recorded improved performance ratings.
On paper, the figures indicate an increase in public investment in healthcare. The question, however, is how those investments have translated into community-level services.
To answer that, PREMIUM TIMES examined procurement records published by the state government.
Procurement records
The records show that between 2020 and 2024, the Ministry of Health awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions of naira for the renovation of health facilities, the procurement of medical equipment, the installation of solar power systems, the repair of boreholes, and other primary healthcare projects.
In 2020, the ministry awarded a N35.7 million contract to Olupopson Nigeria Limited for the rehabilitation and upgrading of General Hospital, Ifetedo. It also approved N6.8 million for the procurement of 4,000 cartons of noodles, with both projects listed as completed on the state’s procurement portal.
The following years saw continued spending on medical equipment, including theatre lamps and diathermy machines, X-ray machines, instrument trolleys, suction machines, emergency stretchers, ultrasound scanners, ECG machines, hepatitis B testing kits, HIV/AIDS consumables, laboratory supplies, computer systems, and other surgical equipment.
Most of the contracts reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES were marked as completed, while a few remained active or had no completion status.
The largest investments reviewed during this investigation were recorded in 2024.
Procurement records show that the state awarded multiple contracts valued at between N426 million and N592 million for the renovation of PHCs across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Separate contracts worth more than N188 million each were also awarded for the supply and installation of solar power and inverter systems across the three districts, while additional contracts ranging from N119 million to N556 million were approved for the sinking and repair of boreholes.
At the time PREMIUM TIMES reviewed the records, many of the 2024 projects were still listed as “Active” on the state’s procurement portal.
However, the procurement documents do not identify the individual PHCs covered under the various phases of the projects.
As a result, PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify whether Agbinpa PHC in Ede South, Abudo PHC in Egbedore or Ekusa PHC in Odo-Otin were among the facilities selected for renovation, solar installations or borehole projects.
Statements by government
Throughout the period covered by this investigation, the state government maintained that strengthening primary healthcare remains one of its priorities.
During an inspection of renovated PHCs in Telemu, Ola-Oluwa LGA, and Ido-Osun, Egbedore LGA, in March 2025, Governor Adeleke said his administration was committed to improving access to healthcare, particularly for residents of rural communities.
According to the governor, the state embarked on the rehabilitation and upgrading of PHCs to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots level.
“I am glad that our people are now benefiting from the outcome of the upgrade and renovation of the health centres. I assure Osun people that we will not relent on the upgrade of our health facilities,” Mr Adeleke said.
He added that the government was prioritising improvements at the primary healthcare level before extending interventions to secondary and tertiary facilities, arguing that stronger primary healthcare would enable earlier detection and treatment of illnesses.
In his third anniversary broadcast in November 2025, the governor also said his administration had rehabilitated more than 200 PHCs across the state.
According to him, the projects included structural rehabilitation, clean water systems, perimeter fencing, roofing repairs, furniture, sanitation facilities, and solar power. He added that another phase covering nearly 200 additional facilities was already underway.
The governor also highlighted the revitalisation of the Osun Health Insurance Scheme, expanded insurance coverage, free surgical interventions across the state’s nine federal constituencies and a $500,000 performance award for the state’s progress on universal health coverage indicators.
Yet, in the three communities visited, this reporter found deteriorating health infrastructure, limited services, staffing shortages and difficult access to healthcare, suggesting that, for some rural communities, the benefits of the state’s healthcare investments remain difficult to see.
Government cites funding constraints, ongoing reforms
PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Agency on the findings.
In a telephone interview, the agency’s Executive Secretary, Adesina Igbalaye, repeated that the state had invested significantly in primary healthcare.
He said the agency conducts routine monthly and quarterly assessments of health facilities to monitor infrastructure, staffing, equipment, and service delivery, with the reports used to identify facilities requiring intervention.
According to him, the government adopted a strategy of upgrading one focal PHC in each ward.
The selected facilities, he said, received renovations, solar power systems, boreholes, medical equipment and other improvements intended to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Mr Igbalaye also said the government introduced stipends for volunteer health workers who had previously served without pay and provided counterpart funding for health programmes implemented with development partners.
Responding to PREMIUM TIMES’ findings that the facilities visited lacked basic services, he said the ongoing revitalisation programme was designed to prioritise one focal facility in each ward while other centres continued to provide routine services.
He attributed delays in extending improvements to all facilities to funding constraints.
According to him, implementation of parts of the programme slowed after disputes over local government administration affected access to local government funds beginning in February last year.
He said the funding challenge affected the pace of ongoing projects, although work has continued in some facilities through other government interventions, including drug supply and routine support for primary healthcare services.
Mr Igbalaye added that the agency’s assessments have enabled it to identify infrastructure and service gaps across facilities, insisting that the government remains committed to improving access to primary healthcare across the state.
Agency report echoes field findings
PREMIUM TIMES requested records of the PHCs revitalised under the state’s programme, the criteria used to select focal facilities and the agency’s most recent assessment reports.
Mr Igbalaye provided a copy of the board’s “5-Day Routine Quarterly Quantitative Integrated Supportive Supervision at PHCs in 15 Selected LGAs” report for the second quarter of 2026.
The report, prepared by the board’s Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics, said supervision teams visited at least 150 PHC facilities across 15 selected LGAs between 1 and 5 June 2026.
The exercise assessed health facility infrastructure, staffing, service delivery, medicine availability, immunisation performance, maternal and child health indicators, and data quality.
However, the report did not identify the 15 LGAs assessed or list the facilities visited.
It also did not provide facility-level findings, making it impossible to independently determine whether Agbinpa, Abudo and Ekusa were among the facilities assessed or how each performed during the exercise.
Even so, the report acknowledged many of the challenges residents described during this investigation.
It identified shortages of health workers, stock-outs of essential medicines and consumables, absenteeism among some health workers, poor record-keeping, and difficult road conditions that affect access to some rural facilities.
The report stated that stock-outs of malaria medicines were recorded at 50 facilities, while 20 facilities lacked oral rehydration salts (ORS), a basic treatment for managing diarrhoea.
It also noted that difficult road conditions during the rainy season affected access to some rural PHCs, while shortages of human resources remained a challenge across the system.
Among its recommendations, the board called for the procurement of essential medicines and consumables, the conversion of ad hoc and volunteer health workers to permanent staff, improved monitoring of staff attendance, and increased funding for supervision activities.
‘Buildings alone do not make PHCs functional’
The conditions documented by PREMIUM TIMES point to broader weaknesses in Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, where investments in infrastructure do not always translate into accessible, quality healthcare, according to Sheriff Gbadamosi, Advocacy and Community Engagement Manager at Nigeria Health Watch.
Mr Gbadamosi said PHC is meant to be the first point of contact with the health system. When residents travel long distances for services that should be available in their communities, he said, it raises questions about whether public investments are delivering the intended results.
“Access should not be measured by the presence of a building alone,” he said. “It should be measured by whether facilities are adequately staffed, stocked with essential medicines and equipped to provide basic services.”
He noted that while renovating health facilities is important, infrastructure alone cannot improve health outcomes.
According to him, the experiences documented in Agbinpa, Abudo and Ekusa reflect wider challenges facing Nigeria’s PHCs system, including workforce shortages, weak supply chains, financing gaps and governance issues.
Mr Gbadamosi also expressed concern about the burden placed on lone health workers, citing the case of the nurse at Agbinpa PHC, who attends deliveries, responds to emergencies outside working hours and sometimes buys basic consumables for patients.
“No PHC should depend entirely on the extraordinary commitment of one individual. Strong health systems are designed so that quality care does not rely on heroism,” he said.
He added that facilities enrolled under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) are expected to receive quarterly funding to improve infrastructure, reduce medicine shortages and support additional health workers.
The expert also linked the findings to Nigeria’s high out-of-pocket healthcare spending, noting that transportation costs, referrals and the purchase of medicines and consumables impose additional financial burdens on households and often delay treatment.
Commenting on the Osun State Government’s strategy of prioritising selected “focal” PHCs, Mr Gbadamosi said concentrating resources on designated facilities may be necessary where funding is limited, but warned that surrounding communities should not be left without access to essential healthcare.
He said the success of any revitalisation programme should be measured not by the number of renovated facilities but by whether residents have better access to timely, affordable, high-quality healthcare.
This reporting was supported by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
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Nearly 11 years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, world leaders are preparing for another round of climate negotiations amid growing concerns that global commitments are not translating into action quickly enough to address the climate crisis.
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled for 9 to 20 November in Antalya, Türkiye, will bring together governments, climate scientists, development institutions, businesses and civil society organisations to negotiate the next steps in the global response to climate change.
The summit comes at a critical time, as countries face increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate investment in clean energy and protect communities already experiencing the effects of rising temperatures.
Yet some of the most difficult questions in international climate negotiations remain unresolved.
Who should pay for climate action? How quickly should countries move away from fossil fuels? And how can developing economies pursue economic growth while reducing emissions and protecting vulnerable populations?
These questions are particularly important for Nigeria and other African countries, where the consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly visible through flooding, drought, extreme heat and pressure on agricultural production.
Beyond the environmental consequences, the negotiations have implications for electricity access, public health, food security, employment and the ability of developing countries to attract investment in cleaner technologies.
COP31 is not expected to produce a single agreement comparable to the Paris Agreement. Instead, much of the work will centre on implementing existing commitments, resolving disagreements carried over from previous conferences and establishing clearer pathways for financing climate action.
The central test will be whether countries can move beyond repeated declarations and agree on practical measures that deliver measurable results.
An unusual leadership arrangement
One distinctive feature of COP31 is the arrangement between Türkiye and Australia, which will share responsibilities for organising and leading the conference.
Türkiye will host the summit, with its Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, serving as COP president. Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, will serve as president of negotiations.
The arrangement followed a compromise after both countries pursued competing bids to host the conference.
Under the agreement, Türkiye will oversee the presidency and action agenda, while Australia will lead the formal negotiations.
The partnership is significant because the two countries approach climate policy from different economic positions.
Türkiye is an emerging economy seeking to expand industrial development and energy security, while Australia is a developed economy with substantial fossil fuel production and exports.
Their leadership will therefore be tested by the same disagreements that have complicated previous climate summits, particularly those concerning fossil fuels, climate finance and the responsibilities of developed and developing countries.
The Turkish presidency has placed implementation, electrification, green industrial development and resilient infrastructure among its priorities.
One of its flagship initiatives is the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which seeks to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035, from just over 20 per cent.
The initiative is intended to encourage greater use of electricity in transport, buildings and industry, supported by cleaner power generation, modern electricity grids and energy storage.
However, the pledge forms part of the presidency’s voluntary action agenda rather than a binding agreement negotiated by all countries.
This distinction matters because announcements made by summit organisers do not automatically become obligations under the UN climate process.
The World Leaders Climate Action Summit, scheduled for 11 and 12 November, will provide an early indication of the political support available for these priorities.
The finance question remains unresolved
Climate finance is likely to be among the most contentious issues in Antalya.
Developing countries have long argued that they cannot be expected to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts without substantial financial support from wealthier nations, which bear greater historical responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions. This principle is reflected in Article 9 of the Paris Agreement, which requires developed countries to provide financial resources to support developing countries’ mitigation and adaptation efforts.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024, countries agreed that developed nations should take the lead in mobilising at least $300 billion annually in climate finance for developing countries by 2035. The agreement also called for efforts to scale up finance from all public and private sources to at least $1.3 trillion annually by the same year.
The two figures are not interchangeable. The $300 billion target is the new collective finance goal led by developed countries, while the wider $1.3 trillion ambition is expected to draw on a broader range of sources, including private investment.
For developing countries, the concern is whether the money will be available on affordable terms and reach the communities and sectors most exposed to climate risks.
A major disagreement concerns the responsibility of developed countries to provide financial resources under the Paris Agreement.
Developing countries want discussions to address these obligations, particularly the provision of public finance. Some wealthier countries favour a broader approach that includes improving access to finance and expanding the range of contributors.
For Nigeria, the funding needs are substantial.
The country requires investment in renewable energy, electricity infrastructure, climate-resilient agriculture, flood management and early-warning systems. Many of these interventions will depend on concessional finance and public investment, rather than private capital alone.
The question at COP31 will be whether countries can make progress on the scale, quality and accessibility of climate finance, rather than simply restating funding ambitions.
Fossil fuels and the just transition
The future of fossil fuels will also remain a difficult issue.
At COP28 in Dubai in 2023, countries agreed for the first time in a final climate decision to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner. The agreement also called for tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy-efficiency improvements by 2030.
The decision marked a significant shift in climate negotiations. However, countries have continued to disagree over how to implement it, and the commitment has yet to translate into an agreed global roadmap for moving away from coal, oil and gas.
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025, countries failed to secure a formal roadmap for the transition away from fossil fuels. The omission exposed the continuing divide between nations seeking faster action and those whose economies depend heavily on fossil fuel production.
The issue is particularly sensitive for Nigeria, where oil and gas remain important sources of government revenue and foreign exchange. At the same time, millions of people lack reliable electricity, while gas flaring, pollution and energy poverty continue to affect communities.
A transition that ignores these realities risks deepening existing inequalities. But maintaining dependence on fossil fuels without a credible plan for cleaner energy also exposes the country to economic and environmental risks as the global energy system changes.
This is where the just transition mechanism agreed at COP30 becomes important. Countries are expected to discuss its structure and implementation at COP31.
The mechanism is intended to strengthen international cooperation, technical assistance and capacity-building to help countries and workers navigate the shift to lower-carbon economies.
For Nigeria, a meaningful just transition must go beyond replacing one energy source with another. It should address the affordability and reliability of electricity, the future of workers in fossil fuel-dependent industries, the development of local clean-energy businesses and the needs of communities affected by environmental degradation.
Adaptation cannot wait
While emissions reduction receives considerable attention at climate summits, adaptation is equally urgent for countries already experiencing the effects of climate change.
Flooding, prolonged dry spells and rising temperatures are affecting livelihoods and infrastructure across Africa. In Nigeria, recurring floods have displaced communities, damaged homes and farms, disrupted transport and increased pressure on public services.
The effects extend beyond physical damage.
Extreme heat can affect workers’ productivity and health, while disruptions to agricultural production can worsen food insecurity. Poorer households often have fewer resources to recover from these shocks.
At COP30, countries agreed on 59 indicators to help measure progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation. The indicators are intended to assess how countries are strengthening resilience in areas such as water, food systems, health and infrastructure.
However, agreeing on indicators does not automatically provide the resources needed to implement adaptation plans. Developing countries continue to demand more predictable funding, particularly for projects that may not attract private investment.
COP30 also called for efforts to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035. Questions remain over how the commitment will be measured and delivered.
Nigeria’s climate ambitions
Nigeria will arrive in Antalya with an updated climate commitment that sets out a more specific emissions-reduction pathway.
Under its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), submitted in 2025, Nigeria targets an absolute emissions reduction of 168.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 and 184.9 million tonnes by 2035, using 2018 as its base year. These targets represent reductions of about 29 and 32 per cent, respectively, against the country’s 2018 net emissions. Nigeria also maintains its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
The plan includes commitments for the energy, industrial, agriculture, land-use and waste sectors. For the oil and gas industry, it targets zero routine gas flaring by 2030, alongside reductions in fugitive emissions from leaks and venting.
But the challenge is turning these commitments into functioning projects and measurable results.
Achieving these targets will require sustained investment in renewable energy, stronger electricity infrastructure, effective regulation and better coordination among government agencies and private investors.
This is particularly relevant to COP31’s proposed 35-by-35 electrification target.
A narrowing window for climate action
COP31 also comes as the international community prepares for the second Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, the process through which countries assess collective progress towards the treaty’s goals.
The first stocktake, concluded in 2023, found that global efforts were insufficient to keep the world on track to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Its outcome called for faster action on renewable energy, energy efficiency, deforestation and the transition away from fossil fuels.
The latest United Nations Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report reinforces the urgency. It warns that global temperatures are expected to exceed the 1.5-degree threshold, even as it argues that the scale and duration of that overshoot can still be limited through faster emissions cuts.
The report estimates that current national climate pledges, if fully implemented, would reduce emissions by only 11 to 15 per cent by 2035 compared with 2025 levels. A pathway designed to return global temperatures to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century would require emissions to fall by 45 per cent by 2035.
The United States’ absence from the official government delegation will also be notable.
The country formally withdrew from the Paris Agreement in January 2026, presenting another challenge to international cooperation at a time when stronger action from major emitters is needed.
Ultimately, the significance of COP31 will not be measured by the number of speeches, announcements or pledges made in Antalya. It will depend on whether countries can resolve outstanding disagreements, strengthen support for vulnerable nations and establish practical pathways for delivering commitments already on the table.
For Nigeria, the summit should be more than an opportunity to restate its climate ambitions. It is a chance to push for accessible finance, strengthen the case for investment in clean energy and ensure that the transition supports jobs, electricity access and livelihoods.
This report is published as part of the COP31 Reporting Fellowship of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development
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Health
Plateau Mega Medical Outreach Treats 17,603 Patients, Performs 724 Surgeries Across Three Zones
The Plateau State Government says its free Mega Medical Outreach has attended to 17,603 patients and performed 724 surgical operations across the three senatorial zones, significantly exceeding its initial target of 6,000 beneficiaries.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this on Saturday, November 7, 2026, while briefing journalists on the conclusion of the general phase of the exercise organised by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
According to Baamlong, the outreach, which ran from October 19 to November 6, covered selected public health facilities across the Central, Southern and Northern Senatorial Zones, providing free consultations, laboratory investigations, eye care, dental services and major and minor surgical procedures successfully carried out with no deaths.
The figures released by the Ministry of Health show that the programme attended to 4,294 patients in the Central Zone, 5,625 in the Southern Zone and 7,684 in the Northern Zone.
Across the three zones, the government recorded 5,033 eye consultations, distributed 3,588 pairs of eyeglasses and performed 390 cataract surgeries. A total of 4,857 laboratory investigations and 1,334 dental consultations were also conducted.
The outreach further recorded 724 surgical operations, comprising 151 major and 573 minor surgeries. The procedures included myomectomies, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, thyroidectomies, caesarean sections and orthopaedic interventions.
The ministry also disclosed that 457 people were enrolled in the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA) during the exercise.
Baamlong said the 17,603 beneficiaries represented approximately 193 per cent above the initial target, describing the turnout as evidence of the demand for accessible and affordable healthcare services in the state.
However, the commissioner acknowledged that the outreach should not be treated as an isolated intervention, stressing the need to strengthen healthcare delivery across primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities.
He disclosed that Governor Mutfwang intends to institutionalise the programme as a regular intervention rather than a one-off exercise, dismissing suggestions that it was organised primarily because of the approaching election.
According to him, the programme had been planned earlier in the year but was delayed by the coordination, planning and engagement required with development partners, including German partners.
He explained that while emergency interventions, outbreak responses and ambulance services remain part of the ministry’s activities, the medical outreach is another component of the government’s broader healthcare strategy.
The commissioner said the long-term objective should be to strengthen existing health institutions to the point where elaborate medical outreaches would no longer be necessary, while ensuring that residents have regular access to essential healthcare services.
The programme is, however, not yet entirely concluded, as the government announced another three-week phase of specialised medical interventions at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Potters Specialist Hospital, Jos.
The next phase is expected to cover advanced orthopaedic, neurological, neurosurgical, urological and ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeries for patients requiring more complex medical procedures.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mr Samuel Aliyu Tsoho, said the intervention cost millions of naira, while appreciating the governor, medical personnel and other stakeholders who participated in the exercise.
He particularly acknowledged health workers who travelled to rural communities and remained at designated facilities to provide services throughout the outreach.
While the government has presented the figures as a major achievement, the planned institutionalisation of the programme raises an important question about the sustainability of free medical interventions and the capacity of existing public health facilities to provide affordable services beyond periodic government-sponsored outreaches.
For thousands of residents who benefited from the exercise, the intervention provided access to treatments and surgeries that might otherwise have been financially difficult to afford. The challenge now is to translate the intervention into lasting improvements in healthcare access, infrastructure and service delivery across Plateau State.
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