Why does Nigeria still wait for illness to become serious before acting?
That question shaped a conversation at Babcock University, where a public health expert argued that Nigeria’s healthcare future depends on preventing diseases before they become emergencies.
Motunrayo Olanrewaju, a Professor of Public Health at the university, said the key to improving health outcomes and managing disease outbreaks lies in shifting to a prevention-driven health system.
She made the recommendation while delivering Babcock University’s 61st inaugural lecture titled, “From Reaction to Prevention: Shaping Nigeria’s Health Future.”
According to Olanrewaju, Nigeria’s population size means healthcare cannot continue to rely mainly on hospitals and emergency responses after illnesses develop.
Instead, she said stronger public policies, community engagement and long-term investment in preventive healthcare are needed.
The professor described Primary Health Care as the backbone of prevention and urged government to prioritise investments that would ensure local health centres are properly equipped.
“Government needs to invest in public health because health literacy empowers people to make informed decisions to take care of their health,” she said.
“When communities can access quality care locally, diseases are detected and managed early before they become emergencies.”
To make prevention more effective, Olanrewaju also recommended data-driven policies and early warning systems, stressing that disease surveillance and research are themselves forms of prevention.
She called for stronger support for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to improve outbreak prediction, vaccination campaigns and coordinated national responses.
The professor further urged institutions to abandon what she described as a “fire brigade” approach to crises and adopt a proactive prevention model.
“Every naira invested in prevention saves multiple naira in treatment costs,” she said, adding that healthier populations improve productivity, reduce poverty caused by medical bills and attractforeign investment.
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