EDWARD OSEGHE
The Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole has rolled out strategies for the implementation of the 2025 Annual Operational Plan, which is rooted in the principles of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).
The 2025 AOP reflects not only Edo health practitioners’ collective priorities but also aligns with the national Health Sector Strategic Blueprint (HSSB) and the overarching goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Dr. Oshiomhole stated this in his keynote address, during the dissemination meeting of the 2025 Edo State Health Sector AOP on Wednesday, 14 May, in Benin City.
According to the Honourable Commissioner for Health, the development of the plan has been inclusive – anchored on wide consultation, technical diligence, and shared commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of every citizen in the State.
He noted that the Plan captures the States position, future agenda and how to get there, outlining measurable targets, costed interventions, and clear implementation pathways across all levels of the health system.
He further emphasised that the Plan must not remain a document on the shelves, rather, it must come alive in Edo Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), in Local Government teams, in secondary health facilities and across communities.
“Whether it is strengthening primary healthcare, expanding health insurance coverage, integrating digital health, or addressing public health emergencies, the 2025 AOP positions us for coordinated and impactful action in the months ahead,” Oshiomhole said.
Additionally, he urged all stakeholders to take ownership, and use the Plan for action, for advocacy and for accountability.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Stanley Ehiarimwian, stated that the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS), in collaboration with program heads across the Health Ministry Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Government Areas (LGAs) and development partners, worked with great deligence to ensure that the AOP is not only strategic but practical, realistic and implementable.
He added that importantly the Plan includes robust mechanism for monitoring and evaluation to support continuous learning, accountability, and adaptation in due course.
The highpoint of the events was the official launch of the 2025 AOP by Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole for the Edo State health sector symbolising collective resolve to deliver on healthcare mandate and improve health outcomes.
In conclusion, the Honourable Commissioner appreciated the DPRS for their leadership, and the State health sector’s valued partners – UNICEF, GHSC-PSM, DATA-FI, TCI, ARF, WHO, and others for their technical and financial contributions to the process.
In his goodwill message, Dr. Andrew Iyamu, the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, on health, called for a wider coverage of partners to include local and international multinational organizations resident in Edo State to be part of the overall development and strengthening of Edo’s health sector through their increased financial assistance.
