Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that access to quality healthcare should be treated as a fundamental right for all Nigerians, not as a favour for the poor or a privilege for the elite.
Speaking at the launch of Care365 Health Hub in Abuja on Tuesday, Obasanjo lamented that millions of Nigerians still walk long distances to reach health facilities while many die from preventable illnesses.
“This is not a favour to the poor,” he said. “It is our responsibility as leaders, as policy makers, as patriots and as the elite within our community. It is no longer acceptable that in the age of artificial intelligence and space tourism, a Nigerian child should die of malaria because her mother couldn’t afford to travel to the nearest health facility.”
Obasanjo chaired the event, where former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan also hailed the initiative founded by Engr. Ngozi Joseph Odumuku to expand healthcare access using digital platforms.
Abubakar noted that healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria remains grossly inadequate and called for sustained government and private-sector support for Care365. Jonathan, for his part, described the initiative as a vital digital innovation that could improve healthcare delivery across the country.
Founder Odumuku said Care365 Health Hub aims to make healthcare accessible to every Nigerian, while Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, described the initiative as a practical solution to bridging gaps in healthcare access.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
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