2026 promises to be a fast paced year going by the strength of public declarations by the Edo State Deputy Governor, (DG), Hon. Dennis Idahosa.
Drawn by the need to ensure public accountability and social responsibility by public servants, based on their own sworn words, it is trite to follow through these public statements to know when to garland the Governor Monday Okpebholo led administration with due praise when they deliver on said promises or to ascertain when to give them due reminders of promises yet to be fulfilled, in ordernto set them on the right trail, even as they get set to hit the ground, running, in year 2026, based on reliance of the SHINE Agenda.
On December 18, 2025, during the 4th Primary Health Care (PHC) Taskforce Meeting, held at the New Festival Hall, Edo State Government House, Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who doubles as the PHC Taskforce Chairman, declared, “As we look ahead to the first quarter of 2026, a key priority is the successful implementation of the Measles-Rubella (MR) Catch-Up Campaign, scheduled to commence in January.
“This campaign is a critical public health intervention targeting all children aged 9 months to 14 years, regardless of their previous measles vaccination status. It is designed to close existing immunity gaps and prevent potential outbreaks of measles and rubella in our communities.”
Interestingly, the deputy governor who shortly interfaced with the press stated that he will be at the forefront during this vaccination process. He said he would join at vaccinating the target age group in order to show leadership by example.
Idahosa while stating that public healthcare needed to be maintained, reeled out notable achievements in the Primary Health Care (PHC) space which needed to be sustained from the preceding year, such as, improved routine immunization coverage across local government areas; strengthened coordination and oversight of PHC services; enhanced capacity of health workforce with Increased community engagement and demand generation for essential health services.
Pointing at the need for mandatory quarterly meetings by the PHC Taskforce and stakeholders in order to review, evaluate, bring up to speed and make provision for the general wellbeing of the masses, inline with the SHINE Agenda of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration which strives to make “primary healthcare affordable and accessible to all,” Idahosa went on to urge all stakeholders in 2026 to implement decisions reached at critical stakeholders meetings, with the follow up call to local government chairmen to key into the implementation process.
Idahosa said adequate exposure and training opportunities would be given to health workers to bring them up to speed with national and international health standards as gained knowledge and expertise would have direct impact on primary healthcare outcomes.
Within the new year, the PHC Taskforce Chairman said he would be leading his team round the 18 Local Government Areas of the State to directly oversee and interface with healthcare practitioners at their workstations in order to know their strength, weakness, challenges and areas in need of review, to help Edo State Government come up with strategic plans on healthcare and boosting staff morale.
The DG stated that based on observed outcomes in the year ended, the Edo State Government is continuing with strengthening of PHC infrastructures in the “192 Wards” across the state in the new year, to make healthcare accessible and affordable.
At an earlier Quarter 1-3 review Meeting of the PHC Taskforce on December 4, 2025, Idahosa stated that 61 PHC’s had been strengthened and upgraded in the state in 2025, under the IMPACT Project. This, he stated, involved the training of health workers and recruitment of frontline health workers to boost effective health service delivery.
While insising that, “PHC takes care of up to 90% of health needs of people through a cost effective manner” and that the Edo State Government is aligned with the PHC under the “One roof” policy of the Federal Government as “It is an intervention meant to unify healthcare services under one authority,” Idahosa said the state government looked forward to harnessing the optimal output of its citizens.
He said the state government based on adherence to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, was taking seriously sundry issues which help at sustaining “Good health, well-being and healthy lives for all ages, and inline with SDG 16, pays attention to issues of peace, justice and strong Institutions, elements which are crucial for security.”
Top on the agenda for the new year, he said, is the continuance with the state government free malaria treatment process. He encouraged patients to step forward and report health facilities that charged money for the malaria treatment process.
Idahosa, during an inspection of Edo State owned Central Medical Stores and Warehouse, presently under the supervision of the Edo State “Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency” (DMA), on November 3, 2025, located at the Medical Stores Road, in Benin City, upheld the state’s readiness to bring to life the moribund Edo State Pharmaceutical Company, assuring of the production of essential drugs by 2026.
The deputy governor who spoke on behalf of Governor Okpebholo at this occassion, said “Despite the vandalism and disuse of the Edo Pharmaceutical Company and Medical Stores due to the endSARS national protest of October 2020, the state is desirous to put the facility to good use through the production of essential drugs which will ease medical costs in Edo and surrounding states.”
He affirmed that the state was ready to harness the “Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain” (PVAC) which aims to accelerate transformation of Nigeria’s healthcare system, “By attracting investment, increasing local production of medical products, and expanding private sector.”
Idahosa assured health observers that the cold chain stores which ensure viability of vaccines through preservation in cold environments for safety reasons are in top-notch condition, haven been restored by this administration. He dispelled myths and associated rumours linked to vaccine usage. He called on target age groups to make use of government provided free vaccination windows in the new year.
Aside health issues, focus would also be on “Land dispute resolution outcomes” at the state and communal level by the Edo State Boundary Committee, Chaired by Idahosa.
The deputy governor, based on pedigree, is expected to give bite to his words, “No Edo State owned land would be lost.”
At a meeting held on November 13, 2025, between the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and Edo State Boundary Committee, Idahosa rose and appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his good office to ensure all boundary demarcation agencies resolve lingering boundary issues involing Edo State with the neighbouring Delta and Kogi States, “to ensure peace, equity, fairness and justice prevails in the areas in dispute.”
Haven said that, he is expected to follow through with his pledge of an official visit to the Presidency and aligned requisite land agencies to bring to their direct notice and ensure that the territorial dignity of Edo State is maintained through “verifiable means, once and for all.”
At the said meeting, the Director General, National Boundary Commission (NBC), Surveyor Adamu Adaji, speaking on the resolution of the boundary demarcation issue with Delta State, had stated, that haven come to the end of submission and receipt of documentary evidence, the Commission had exhausted it’s channels of communication hence the Commission was heading to the next stage of statutory action.
He noted, “We cannot allow a party to delay the process. There must be an end to it. We have come to an extent, perhaps, where we will personally interface with the two sides, on individual basis where we need clarity and identification to make sure this issue is resolved once and for all, in accordance with available delineation documents and other ground rule methods to identify and make recommendation to the federal government for adoption.”
The Edo Boundary Committee had insisted, “When Edo and Delta States were created in 1991, boundaries were established by the decree – the 1991 Decree, when the two states were separated by the Nigerian Military. So, there is no problem with identifying the boundaries between Edo and Delta.”
