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By Chukwuma Umeorah
The Executive Chairman of Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Yisa Abiola Jubril, has pledged to swiftly address deficiencies at primary healthcare centres (PHCs) within the council’s jurisdiction, following reports of deteriorating conditions at facilities serving communities under Ojo Local Government.
The pledge followed presentations by the Community and Development Foundation (CADEF), which raised concerns over the state of Ijagemo PHC and Oba Adeshina PHC, citing lack of electricity and running water, inadequate seating for patients, absence of signposts, and surroundings described as unconducive for both healthcare workers and patients.
Speaking during the engagement, CADEF Executive Director, Evans Enwefah, said the organisation monitors service delivery in PHCs across five local government areas in Lagos State, including Ojo Local Government and Iba LCDA.
“What we do is visit primary healthcare facilities, identify gaps in infrastructure, equipment or service delivery, and then work with the community to address those within their capacity, while escalating bigger issues to the relevant authorities,” he said.
Enwefah noted that weak infrastructure continues to undermine access to basic healthcare services that are officially available at little or no cost, including malaria treatment, antenatal care, immunisation and other government-supported programmes. According to him, poor facility conditions remain a major reason many residents bypass nearby PHCs in favour of distant hospitals.
“Our goal is to link the community to their health facility, improve trust and increase utilisation of free or subsidised government health services so that people stop travelling far for basic care,” he said.
At Oba Adeshina PHC, CADEF reported “no running water, no electricity insufficient and broken chairs for patients and no signpost,” conditions it said have limited awareness and use of the facility. Similar concerns were raised at Ijagemo PHC, where the group identified lack of power supply, bushy surroundings, inadequate staffing and absence of a signpost, giving the impression that the facility is abandoned.
Reacting to the situation at Ijagemo PHC, the Medical Officer in Charge, Mrs Razaq Afusat, said the challenges have significantly affected patient turnout. She added that the facility is not currently covered by the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), limiting access to federal resources needed to address some of the infrastructure gaps.
Enwefah disclosed that the organisation monitors service delivery in PHCs across five local government areas in Lagos State through different community-based organisations (CBOs), noting that advocacy is directed at the specific authorities responsible for each terrain.
“In Ojo Local Government, we have CADEF, Popwhei and CEPHO. Because Iba LCDA falls within this space, and the Medical Officer of Health we met oversees Iba, including Ijagemo and Oba Adeshina PHCs, our advocacy had to be directed there.”
He explained that CADEF is currently working at Oba Adeshina PHC, while Popwhei covers Ijagemo PHC, following periodic migration of partner groups from one facility to another every few months. According to him, issues that cannot be resolved by CBOs, community members or local philanthropists are escalated for broader advocacy to relevant authorities.
CADEF also highlighted earlier interventions in the area to demonstrate how engagement can yield results. At Isashi PHC, the group said persistent power outages were resolved after discussions with the local government, while community members donated equipment, including a blood pressure machine. At Afromedia PHC, they reported improvements in record-keeping after the intervention of the Medical Officer of Health, although electricity supply to part of a new building remains incomplete due to an unfinished contractor assignment.
The organisation said its work relies on collaboration with community development associations, traditional leaders, officers-in-charge and local authorities to strengthen accountability.
“Ultimately, the project is about awareness and accountability: reminding people that these facilities belong to them,” CADEF said, adding that it would continue to escalate unresolved issues to health authorities and council leadership until service delivery improves across affected PHCs.
