Health
Edo residents urge Okpebholo to fulfil N2.5bn UBTH paediatric centre pledge
Janet Ogundepo
Residents of Edo State have urged Governor Monday Okpebholo to fulfil his pledge to construct a N2.5bn paediatric complex at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital to improve specialised healthcare for children.
The appeal followed a fuel tanker explosion along the Benin-Lagos Highway, which left survivors hospitalised at UBTH.
Speaking with journalists during the governor’s visit to the victims at the weekend, a resident, Mrs Grace Amayo, said completing the proposed facility would strengthen paediatric care and provide a suitable environment for treating vulnerable children.
Amayo said the proposed facility would strengthen specialised healthcare for children in the state and the wider region, stressing that the governor should translate his promise into action by commencing construction.
Her appeal followed last Thursday’s petroleum tanker explosion at Oluku Market along the Benin-Lagos Expressway, which brought the need for adequate medical infrastructure to the fore as victims with severe burns were taken to UBTH for treatment.
Okpebholo pledged the N2.5bn grant on August 26, 2025, after the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid him a courtesy visit in Benin.
At the time, the governor said his administration would not play politics with children’s health, describing the proposed paediatric centre as a legacy project for Edo State and Nigeria.
He also promised that the state government would work with the hospital’s management to ensure that the project met international standards.
However, more than a year after the pledge, the groundbreaking ceremony for the project has yet to take place.
Speaking with journalists in Benin City, Amayo urged the governor to ensure that the commitment did not remain an announcement without implementation.
“I want to appeal to the governor to see the project through to completion. The pledge should not remain a mere statement; it should become a completed legacy project that will serve generations of children.
“Children deserve more than promises, and UBTH deserves the infrastructure required to serve them effectively. Prof. Ize-Iyamu has shown that she is ready to work for the people. Her resourcefulness and commitment should be supported by sustained government investment,” she said.
Amayo cited the restoration of UBTH’s Burns and Plastic Surgery Ward as an example of what she described as purposeful leadership, saying the proposed paediatric complex offered an opportunity to further strengthen the hospital’s capacity to care for vulnerable patients.
She said the burns ward, originally built by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, had suffered years of neglect before Ize-Iyamu directed its remodelling and restoration to the standard of a modern burns and plastic surgery unit.
She noted that the restored facility became very important following the Oluku tanker explosion, as victims were evacuated to UBTH for treatment.
“The tanker explosion along the Benin-Lagos Highway brought the reality of mass casualties and severe burns into sharp focus. As victims were evacuated to UBTH, the restored ward became more than a renovated facility; it became a lifeline,” Amayo said.
She maintained that investment in medical infrastructure was essential to sustainable development and protecting the health of Edo residents.
Meanwhile, Okpebholo, accompanied by Senator Adams Oshiomhole and other government officials, visited UBTH on Friday, October 16, 2026, to see survivors of the tanker explosion receiving treatment.
During the visit, UBTH CMD briefed the delegation on the patients’ clinical conditions and recovery, including those among the initial 11 victims admitted immediately after the incident.
Okpebholo expressed sorrow over the disaster and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
He also pledged his administration’s support for those affected by the incident.
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