The federal and state governments have been warned that Nigeria’s efforts to promote primary healthcare (PHC) remain at a delicate crossroads, caught between the country’s cultural norms on self-care and the systemic weaknesses of the health system, if urgent but necessary steps are not taken.
Former lawmaker and public affairs commentator, Olawale Oshun, said the warning becomes imperative considering that Yoruba communities, like many others in Nigeria, view health holistically, blending physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
This worldview, he explained, often makes traditional healers and home remedies the first point of call for families.
“It isn’t an aberration, even for the well-educated Yoruba person, to prefer traditional healing to orthodox care,” he observed.
Oshun, who spoke from Atlanta, Georgia, during the virtual Yoruba Nurses of North America (YORNNA) Convention in the United States, themed ‘Promoting Primary Health Care at the Crossroads of Cultural Norms on Self-Care and Well-being’, where he stressed that the cultural reality collides with the inadequacies of Nigeria’s PHC system.
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Citing data showing that out of more than 30,000 public health centres across the country, Oshun noted that only about 20 to 25 percent are fully functional.
“In the six Yoruba states, where over 41 million people live, this means one health centre may serve as many as 80,000 people, far above global standards,” he emphasized.
Problems such as poor facilities, lack of electricity and water, and severe shortages of medical personnel, he said, have deepened reliance on self-care and alternative treatments.
“Accessibility, affordability, and trust are the major gaps,” Oshun noted, warning that the cost of orthodox care continues to push families toward traditional practices, even when biomedical treatment is available.
However, he argued that diaspora professionals such as YORNNA are stepping into this gap with targeted interventions, while pointing to YORNNA’s annual medical missions, which provide free consultations, diagnostic services, medicines, and health education in underserved communities.
He described how, during the 2024 mission to Lagos, hundreds of local medical tourists gleamed with joy as they received treatments at no cost, proof that people will embrace PHC when it is accessible and affordable.
Oshun outlined several solutions to bridge the divide between cultural norms and formal healthcare.
He called for health promotion programmes that respect local beliefs, framing self-care within culturally familiar terms rather than dismissing them outright.
He urged YORNNA and similar groups to continue partnering with traditional leaders and community institutions to build trust, while also working with local health authorities to strengthen service delivery.
He further argued that Nigeria should not simply condemn the “Japa” syndrome, the migration of skilled professionals abroad, but should create systems that convert it into an asset.
According to him, diaspora remittances, which exceeded $20 billion in 2024, already constitute the country’s second-largest source of foreign exchange.
Beyond money, Oshun maintained, the expertise, networks, and institutional links of diaspora professionals must be harnessed deliberately for PHC strengthening
“The potential is huge and should be encouraged,” he said, noting that institutions like YORNNA exemplify how skilled Yoruba professionals abroad can channel knowledge, resources, and humanitarian commitment back to their homeland.
Oshun reaffirmed YORNNA’s 2025 mission objectives in Ogun State to strengthen partnerships with local leaders, promote self-care awareness that integrates cultural health beliefs, and entrench their reputation as a trusted humanitarian and healthcare advocate.
He described these as essential steps toward closing the yawning gap in Nigeria’s primary healthcare delivery, while respecting the cultural values that continue to shape how people care for their health.
