Good Governance: Bucket list of activities for 2026 from Edo DG'S Office

    Deputy Governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa 

By Bernadette Idalu 

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.

Buoyed by the need to monitor public accountability and social responsibility of public servants, based on their public declarations, this write-up is a modest attempt to match words with action in the mind's eye of people in the new year, 2026. It aims to enlighten the masses by making them visualize and evaluate campaign and other promises to the people. Being informed about projects, for instance, hones their monitoring roles, thus, empowering them, to make informed analysis at the "People's court/parliament" or "Townhall meetings" where open commentaries and debates are held in order to garland the Governor Monday Okpebholo led administration with due praise based on achieved milestones from the SHINE Agenda or pinpoint yet to be fulfilled promises. This is the beauty of democracy and democratic governance.

This article focuses on the policy tilt of the Edo State Government and expected outcomes from the office of the Deputy Governor.

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 at the vaccination process. He said he would be teaming up with health practitioners to vaccinate the target age group. This he affirmed, to be leadership by example.

Idahosa who stated that public healthcare needed to be maintained, reeled out notable achievements in the Primary Health Care (PHC) space, acts which he observed 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."

Idahosa as a matter of fact, affirmed that in the new year, the PHC Taskforce and stakeholders meeting by veto power, would hold in each quarter, 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.

He said the Okpebholo administration strives to make "Primary healthcare affordable and accessible to all." Idahosa urged 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 in their locals.

Idahosa said adequate exposure and training opportunities would be given to health workers in the new year to bring them up to speed with national and international health standards as gained knowledge and expertise reflect directly 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 workers at their workstations to assess their strength, weakness, challenges and areas in need of review to help government come up with strategic plans for healthcare, and methods to be deployed at boosting staff morale.

The DG stated that based on observed outcomes in the year ended, (2025), the Edo State Government is going ahead strengthening PHC infrastructures in the "192 Wards" across the state to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all.

At the Quarter 1-3 review Meeting which held at the same venue, the PHC Taskforce Chairman on December 4, 2025, stated that 61 PHC's had been strengthened and upgraded in the state in 2025, under the IMPACT Project, (Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services),  a "World Bank-supported initiative focused on revamping primary healthcare (PHC) for better maternal/child health, immunization, and malaria control, involving facility upgrades, training for staff, providing essential services (antenatal, delivery, family planning), improving data, and strengthening governance to reduce mortality and achieve Universal Health Coverage in the state."

Stating that, "PHC takes care of up to 90% of health needs of people through a cost effective manner," against the backdrop that Edo State Government is aligned with the PHC under the "One roof" policy of the Federal Government, Idahosa said this was all good as, "It is an intervention meant to unify healthcare services under one authority," whereforth the state government looked forward towards harnessing optimal outputs. 

Idahosa said the state, guided by 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."

Idahosa said the state government was continuing with the free malaria treatment process. He encouraged patients to step forward and report health facilities that charged money for the malaria treatment process.

Idahosa, at an inspection of Edo State owned Central Medical Stores and Warehouse, presently under the supervision of Edo State "Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency" (DMA), on November 3, 2025, at 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, " Attracting investment, increasing local production of medical products, and expanding private sector."

Idahosa told health observers that government has gone ahead to restore the out of use cold chain facility, making it once more functional to ensure viability of vaccines and integrity of the vaccination process.

"Vaccines need to be kept in a stable cold environment to maintain their viability and for safety of users."

Aside health issues, focus would also be beamed 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 assertion, "No Edo State owned land would be lost." 

During a meeting on November 13, 2025, between the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and Edo State Boundary Committee, Idahosa appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his good office to ensure all boundary demarcation issues are resolved through recourse to the requisite agencies. Focus he said should be directed at resolving lingering boundary issues between Edo State and the neighbouring Delta and Kogi States, "To ensure peace, equity, fairness and justice prevails in the areas in dispute." 

He is expected to match words with action in the new year, briefing the Presidency, National Assembly and aligned requisite land dispute resolution agencies to expidite action that ensure 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, "Haven come to the end of submission and receipt of documentary evidence, the Commission has exhausted it's channels of communication hence the Commission is heading to the next stage of statutory action.

"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." 

Members of 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."