Odunayo Sanya and Other Industry Leaders Push for Collaborative Efforts to Revitalize Nigeria’s Healthcare System

Government and private sector stakeholders recently convened for the 2024 Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) to champion collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s healthcare system. The summit, themed “Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa,” addressed the continent’s urgent developmental issues through innovative, market-driven solutions.

The summit aims to build partnerships, promote effective policies, and attract investments in crucial sectors like healthcare and education. The event featured distinguished dignitaries including Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation; Mohammed Fall, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Representative; Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Commissioner of Health for Ekiti State; Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of MTN Foundation; and Dr. Ola Brown, Founding Partner at Healthcare Capital Africa. They participated in a panel session titled “Envisioning Africa’s Growth Through the Lens of a Thriving Health Economy: Private Sector Perspectives.”

During the panel focused on health challenges in Africa, stakeholders explored the different ways the private sector can address many healthcare disparities in the country and support the government. The discussion featured experts from both the public sector and private sector. Dr. Mories Atoki, CEO, ABC Health emphasized that “the health sector is very critical, and the government has not fully delivered excessively in the private sector. However, the next party after international donors that can come in is the private sector”.

Highlighting the importance of health as a public discourse, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Health stated: “With all the challenges in the country, there are some good things happening between the private sector and the private sector. There is a clear role for governance to create an enabling environment for private sectors to thrive. There has been exceptional work that the private sector has been doing over the years. We should create more opportunities for collaboration and to play a more active role in shaping the narrative around the things that would drive economic development in the country.”

Emphasising health as one of the key pillars of the MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director, MTN Foundation expressed that “Our initiatives are closely aligned with the national priorities in Nigeria. At MTN, we are deeply committed to improving healthcare, particularly for underserved communities that are often difficult to reach. We have developed a comprehensive strategy consisting of three layers: institutional partnerships, individual-level support, and state-level collaborations. Our approach includes supporting research to identify the most pressing needs.

“Although we are a technology company, we have invested in health infrastructure such as setting up the Oligo-Synthesizer Laboratory for the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR). Currently, we are involved with 52 healthcare centers, addressing not just equipment needs but also providing alternative power solutions like solar-powered boreholes. Additionally, we are engaged in training and have partnered with organizations such as PSHAN to enhance our impact,” she added.

The summit aims to develop effective cross-sector interactions, advocating for policies that support investment in critical development sectors, and ensuring beneficial investments. This has always been demonstrated by MTN Foundation’s commitment of more than 3 billion Naira to CSR, including the development of primary healthcare centers around Nigeria.