Firm boss advocates equal access to quality healthcare

The Chief Executive Officer of OneBarrow International Limited, Dr Yemi Ajao, has called for stronger partnerships among corporate bodies, government agencies, and health professionals to advance equitable healthcare delivery across Nigeria.

He made the call in Abuja during the 2025 Health Equity Conference themed “From Access to Impact: Advancing the National Agenda for Equitable Healthcare,”held in Abuja yesterday.

Ajao said the annual event was designed to foster collaboration across sectors to ensure Nigerians, regardless of their location or income, receive quality healthcare services.

According to him, the idea of universal basic healthcare remains incomplete without its effective implementation. He noted that access to care should be guaranteed through adequate financing and the availability of functional facilities nationwide.

“We can see that care is being dispersed in a disparate form where people in rural areas don’t even have access to what they need.

“Even in urban areas, many lack the resources to get the appropriate care they deserve,”Ajao lamented.

He criticised the growing reliance on self-diagnosis and unregulated pharmacies, saying such practices expose citizens to risks from unverified drugs and unlicensed health providers.

“You see a pharmacy, a clinic, or a lab—how do you know they are licensed to offer you those services?

“People are often at the mercy of a system created outside the proper regulatory framework.”

Ajao stressed the need for Nigerians to be better informed about their healthcare rights and the policies designed to protect them.

“We want citizens to understand the risks and limitations behind every policy and the resources required to ensure safety and accessibility,” he added.

Also speaking, the Acting Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr Donald I. Ofili, underscored the importance of fairness and collaboration in the healthcare system.

“Equity in healthcare is so important.We have all the regulatory agencies here speaking to equity, partnership and collaboration in delivering health services,”Ofili said.