Former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has issued a powerful call for a significant boost in government spending on Nigeria's public health and education sectors. He delivered this urgent message during the Convocation Lecture at the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) in Osara, Kogi State, on November 29, 2025.
The Sibling Alliance Against Progress
In his lecture titled "Ill-health and Illiteracy: Siblings Alliance Against Development," Dr. Mimiko warned that the nation's advancement will remain stagnant unless it directly confronts the twin challenges of poor health and lack of education. He described Nigeria's human development indicators as painting "a dismal picture," a situation that persists despite recent fiscal reforms that have increased government revenue.
Mimiko acknowledged ongoing policy efforts but insisted they must be expanded and pursued with greater urgency. He identified the improved earnings from the removal of subsidies, exchange rate unification, and upcoming 2026 tax reforms as a "rare opportunity" for federal, state, and local governments to redirect substantial resources towards human capital development.
A Focus on Childhood Nutrition and Security
The former governor placed a special emphasis on the critical role of childhood nutrition, which he said lies "at the intersection of health, education and agriculture." He called for a major overhaul of the national school feeding programme, proposing it be restructured, rebranded, and decentralised.
Under his proposed model, the Federal Government would set broad standards while states take charge of implementation. A key component of this redesigned programme would be the "irreducible minimum of one egg, one child, one day," a policy he argued would enhance monitoring, ensure accountability, and simultaneously stimulate growth within the livestock industry.
Briefly addressing the nation's security challenges, Mimiko stated that decentralising the police system is essential. "To address the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria, we must decentralise the police service. No federation like Nigeria anywhere in the world operates the kind of centralised police structure we have," he asserted.
Pathway to Sustainable Development
Dr. Mimiko expressed optimism that the Tinubu administration's "Nigeria First" policy could help shift the country's focus away from an over-reliance on market forces. He advocated for deliberate public investment to drive meaningful industrialisation.
"As government revenues improve, the visible hand of the state must ensure fair redistribution by channelling more public resources into healthcare and education," he said. He stressed that such investments are fundamental for producing the skilled and innovative workforce required for sustainable national development.
Mimiko also made it clear that this call for increased investment is not solely directed at the Federal Government. He insisted that state governments must also reflect their improved fiscal capacity in their budget priorities for these critical sectors.
He concluded with a simple, powerful message: "More public investment in health and education must be prioritised. The alliance of illiteracy and ill-health must be confronted and reversed if Nigeria is to achieve meaningful development."
