By Gabriel Dike
The Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Mr. Kola Adesina, Managing Director, NSIA Advanced Medical Services Limited, Dr. Tolulope Adewole and Mr. Ernest Ebi, has advocated for impact-driven investment in the nation’s health sector.
They made the suggestion at the 6th Arthur Mbanefo Lecture held at Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Center (AMDRC), UNILAG, titled: “A Healthy Nation is a Wealthy Nation: The Role of Impact Investments and Sustainable Financing in Nigeria” and delivered by Dr. Tolulope Adewole, MD of NSIA Advanced Medical Services Limited.
The lecture, which was held to mark the 95 birthday of Chief Arthur Mbanefo, attracted the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, UNILAG management team, Senator Bode Olajumoke, Publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Pa Sam Amuka-Pemu, co-founder of Seplat, Dr. ABC Orijiako, acting Chairman, MTN Foundation, Mr. Dennis Okoro, former UNILAG VC, Prof. Rahamon Bello and lecturers.
Prof. Ogunsola said the lecture would offer another opportunity to reemphasize that health is not a sectoral concern, it is a national imperative. According to her, without a healthy population, productivity declines, adding, “innovation slows. Growth stalls. Not only this but also that the solution on healthcare does not lie in government efforts alone but that the pathway lies in impact-driven investments, sustainable financing models, and multi-sectoral partnerships.”
The VC argued that Nigeria must reimagine health as an economic asset, worthy of strategic capital, long-term planning, and resilient systems.
She acknowledged the contribution of Chief Mbanefo towards the center and used the occasion to wish him a happy 95th birthday.
Chairman of AMDRC Board, Mr. Ernest Ebi, said the lecture series has attracted eminent experts who spoke on different topics on national issues.
Ebi disclosed that Chief Mbanefo served Nigeria in different capacities and donated the center in 2012 to mark his 90th birthday.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Adesina, Group MD of Sahara Group, acknowledged that nation’s health sector is under funded resulting in poor quality services delivery.
Adesina commended the contribution of Mbanefo to national development and urged him to continue to guide the young ones on the right path.
In his contribution, Dr. Orijiako, advocated for the introduction of Health Corporate Tax and argued that brain drain in the sector cannot be addressed if salary of health workers are not improved.
In his lecture, Dr. Adewole warned that the country would never solve the health problem unless it addresses the issue of power and road.
He stressed that impact investment has grown in recent years and suggested collaboration with the private sector to boost the nation’s health sector.
Adewole revealed that Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios globally, with 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. He further said under -5 mortality remains high at 102 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The guest speaker noted that Nigeria also faces a pronounced shortage in its health workforce, stating, “this severe deficit underscores the need for strategic investment in human capital development and systemic health capacity.”
Adewole said the private, public-private, and public-public case studies in the nation’s health sector; requires impact investment to transforma the opportunity to align capital with social progress.
“The Nigerian experience shows that when impact capital is structured with intention, it can close long-standing service delivery gaps, enhance preparedness for future health challenges, and encourage collaboration across the public and private sector,” he argued.
Adewole noted that a nation that invests wisely in health lays the foundation for inclusive prosperity, institutional resilience, and long-term stability.