BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU
NIGERIA’S health sector continues to lag in global rankings, with maternal and child mortality among the world’s highest. Only a fraction of Nigerians enjoy health insurance, and most pay out of pocket for care.
In this national context, Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has set an ambitious course for the state, significantly transforming its health sector in less than two years since he assumed office.
Driven by his MORE Agenda for accelerated development, Oborevwori’s administration has poured resources into upgrading hospitals and clinics, expanding insurance coverage, bolstering the health workforce and partnering with domestic and international agencies.
By January 2025, more than 2.4 million Deltans – roughly 40 per cent of the state’s population – were enrolled in the State Contributory Health scheme, making Delta Nigeria’s leading state in health insurance.
These reforms, from primary healthcare centres to university teaching hospitals, aim to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC), cut maternal and child deaths, and deliver equitable care to all communities.
Infrastructure Development
An early priority of the Oborevwori administration was to refurbish and equip Delta’s primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities. The Governor secured approval for the renovation of over 150 primary health centres across all 25 local government areas, ensuring “functional healthcare facilities closer to underserved communities”.
Many renovated clinics now boast of modern delivery wards, immunisation units and stocked pharmacies. In rural areas, refurbished cottage hospitals have emerged: for example, in February 2024, Governor Oborevwori commissioned a new 30‐bed cottage hospital in Warri South Local Government Area.
At higher levels of care, general hospitals and specialist centres have also seen major upgrades. At the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH) in Oghara, for example, the government has approved cutting-edge equipment: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and CT‐scan machines are now being installed, alongside new dialysis units, modern surgical theatres and laboratory centres.
Upgrades have similarly reached other general hospitals across the state, many of which have received new operation tables, X-ray and ultrasound machines and generators. In one notable partnership, a ₦200 million consignment of equipment – including a 60kva generator, X-ray and ultrasound machines, blood‐bank refrigerators and surgical beds – was handed over to Otor-Udu General Hospital (Udu LGA) in late 2024. This stock of state-of-the-art devices will also serve as the interim facility for the planned Federal Medical Centre at Ovwian, illustrating how federal and state efforts are aligned to boost Delta’s capacity.
More broadly, the state has mobilised nearly ₦3bn to acquire new kits for 20 additional general hospitals. These include facilities at Obiaruku, Abraka, Ekpan, Okwe, Koko, Orerokpe, OtuJeremi, Burutu, Aboh, Ibusa, OnichaOlona and others.
For instance, Central Hospital Warri and Asaba Specialist Hospital each received new CT scanners, while dozens of smaller hospitals obtained X‐ray machines and laboratory equipment.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, emphasised that improved infrastructure is critical. As facilities across Delta rise to new standards, access to complex services – from surgical deliveries to cancer screenings – is increasingly available locally rather than requiring travel out of state.
Healthcare Access and Insurance
A key reform has been the aggressive expansion of the state Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), designed to deliver near–free care for citizens and to extend UHC.
Originally enshrined in law in 2016, the scheme has been turbocharged under Governor Oborevwori. Last year, over 2.4 million residents – well over 40 per cent of Delta’s population – had registered.
Thus, the Director‐General of the DSCHC, Dr Isaac Akpoveta, proudly notes that “Delta State is Number One by every parameter of health insurance in the country”.
This achievement far outpaces the national average (only 19 per cent of Nigerians have any health insurance), and is credited to the governor’s drive and subsidies that lowered premiums. Indeed, most citizens now pay a modest N7,000 per year to join the scheme, with vulnerable groups (pregnant women, children under five and the elderly) fully covered by state funding.
Concrete results are already visible. More than 300 caesarean sections are subsidised monthly under the scheme, saving women up to ₦500,000 per operation.
Currently, Governor Oborevwori pays over ₦100 million every month to cover these C‐sections in 550 registered facilities, lifting a tremendous financial burden from families.
Young children and expectant mothers receive free routine care: “children under the age of zero to five years old receive medical care at no cost under the scheme,” notes Dr Akpoveta.
The equity plan is notably generous – free antenatal visits, delivery care and immunisations – and Dr Akpoveta credits Governor Oborevwori’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable. As a result, enrolment includes many rural and low-income residents who previously had no health cover. By bringing affordable care to the grassroots, these measures advance UHC goals and are expected to drive down maternal and child mortality in Delta State.
The scheme’s popularity has also preserved public hospitals, which are now busier and better funded. Since May 2023, when Oborevwori took office, DSCHC reports show spikes in outpatient attendance and skilled deliveries at government hospitals across the state. Health officials report no shortage of funding for basic drugs and consumables under the insurance plan.
Health Workforce Development
Governor Oborevwori also recognises that facilities mean little without trained staff. The administration has embarked on an ambitious strategy to cultivate and retain healthcare professionals.
In July 2024, the state opened two new medical training colleges: a College of Health Technology at Ovrode (Okpe LGA) for training nurses, laboratory technicians and midwives; and a College of Health Sciences at Southern Delta University, Ozoro (Isoko North LGA) for degree courses in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health.
These institutions – the first of their kind in Delta – are equipped with modern labs and lecture halls, aiming to address long-term staff shortages by producing skilled graduates on site. The Governor has said that educating the next generation of doctors and paramedics locally is central to his vision of integrating health and education.
Meanwhile, to tackle the ongoing brain drain (Japa) and current staffing gaps, Delta has raised pay and benefits. Delta State Commissioner for Health, Joseph Onojaeme, explains that the state now pays the full revised medical salary scale (CONMESS) without taxation on allowances, making Delta one of only two states (alongside the federal government) to do so.
“Governor Oborevwori is determined to make medical and health workers stay in the country to serve the nation,” Dr Onojaeme affirmed. An executive order guarantees immediate replacement of any doctor or nurse who leaves for abroad, cutting bureaucratic delays. The state is also investing in staff welfare – renovating hospital staff quarters and funding continuous medical education.
Recruitment drives have filled hundreds of vacancies in hospitals and clinics statewide. Rural primary-care centres that once sat idle are now open with resident nurses and community health officers. Dr Onojaeme notes that improved conditions have made Delta “an attractive destination for healthcare professionals, reversing the trend of talent migration”.
HIV/AIDS Response
A cornerstone of Delta’s public health push has been reinforcing HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Building on existing platforms, the state has intensified awareness campaigns, free testing and treatment programmes for HIV.
Under the state’s equity health plan, all pregnant women and children under five automatically receive free HIV testing and counselling through the contributory scheme.
Funds have been allocated to the Delta State Agency for the Control of AIDS (DELSACA) to procure test kits and anti-retroviral drugs so that no one is turned away for lack of resources. DELSACA has partnered with civil society groups to carry out door-to-door testing in rural riverine communities, and regular mobile clinics bring voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) to markets and schools. Public recognition and education have also been emphasised. The administration supports national and international campaigns: for example, it hosted the First Lady’s launch of an HIV-AIDS elimination drive in Asaba, committing Delta to the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets.
Every World AIDS Day, the governor’s office sponsors awareness walks and free screening events at the Asaba Specialist Hospital. Governor Oborevwori himself has spoken of the need to “check the HIV scourge” and ensure patients are not charged for treatment in public hospitals (in line with policies begun under the previous administration). These efforts build on earlier gains: Delta already has laws protecting patient rights and banning stigmatisation, and the current government has continued that legacy, ensuring HIV/AIDS remains a top health priority.
Innovation and Partnerships
Delta’s health transformation is notable for its innovative financing and partnerships. The DSCHC has leveraged donor aid and institutional awards to sustain its programs. For instance, the state won a $400,000 award in December 2024 from the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge (organised by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Gates Foundation and UNICEF) in recognition of its PHC performance. This grant – the first-ever for Delta – was explicitly linked to the MORE Agenda and Governor Oborevwori’s approval to renovate 150 PHC centres. DSCHC officials say such recognition confirms the scheme’s excellence. In April 2025, the Commission clinched a national award as “Most Innovative Health Insurance Agency”, crediting Governor Oborevwori’s “visionary leadership” for driving out‐of‐the‐box reforms.
International collaboration has also increased. Delta has worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the Global Fund on disease control and health-systems strengthening.
For malaria control, the government partnered with donor agencies to distribute free insecticide-treated nets to riverine families and spray high-risk communities.
Funds from WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response were partly used to build isolation wards and purchase ambulances, which now serve other outbreaks (like Lassa fever) as well.
Local philanthropy has been tapped too: the governor’s wife’s foundation, You Matter, runs maternal health clinics and breast-cancer screening days, and private sector contributions (e.g. from Delta oil firms) help endow scholarships for nursing students.
