Diaspora Nurses, NANNNA, Commission Four Renovated Primary Health Centres in Iperu Remo, Ayepe and Ijebu-Ode

Diaspora Nurses, NANNNA, Commission Four Renovated Primary Health Centres in Iperu Remo, Ayepe and Ijebu-Ode.

By: Tope OYEKAN

In a powerful demonstration of how diaspora engagement can transform lives at home, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA) has set the stage to commission four fully renovated Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across key communities in Ogun State, marking another milestone in grassroots healthcare development.

The commissioning ceremonies, according to a media release made available to Successful People Magazine, are scheduled for Friday, December 19, 2025, and will be led by the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker; And will take place across Iperu Remo, Aiyepe-Ijebu, and Ijebu Ode.

The facilities include Imobido and Iregun PHCs in Iperu, Aiyepe PHC, and Iwade-Oke PHC in Ijebu Ode—communities where access to quality primary healthcare has long been a pressing need.

Beyond routine renovation, the NANNNA intervention reflects a comprehensive reimagining of primary healthcare delivery. At the Iperu facilities, previously modest structures have been transformed into one-storey health complexes, complete with additional wards, administrative offices, modern furniture, and essential medical equipment. These upgrades were carefully planned in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Health, the Primary Healthcare Board, local government authorities, and community leaders.

In Aiyepe, a once dilapidated structure has been reborn as a two-bedroom staff quarters, thoughtfully designed with private bathrooms, a living room, kitchenette, and visitor facilities—an intervention aimed at improving staff welfare and retention in rural health posts. At Iwade-Oke PHC in Ijebu Ode, NANNNA constructed and equipped separate wards for children and female patients, while the existing ward was retained for male patients, ensuring better patient management and comfort.

These newly commissioned centres form part of NANNNA’s broader Adopt-A-Primary Health Centre Initiative, coordinated in Nigeria by Dr. Esther Oshunluyi, DNP, RN, FWAPCNM, Chairperson of the Association’s Health Mission Committee. To date, the initiative has adopted 34 PHCs across nine states in the South-West, South-East and South-South geo-political zones, with five centres located in Ogun State alone.

These projects are about bringing healthcare closer to underserved communities and providing real relief to the less privileged

According to Dr. Oshunluyi, the interventions go beyond bricks and mortar. “These projects are about bringing healthcare closer to underserved communities and providing real relief to the less privileged. Our work in Ogun State shows what is possible when diaspora professionals, government institutions, and local communities work together with a shared vision,” she said.

All renovation works were executed following structural engineering assessments and formal approvals from relevant state authorities, reinforcing NANNNA’s commitment to safety, sustainability, and accountability. The Association had earlier carried out a similar intervention at the Ita Alapo PHC in Ijebu Ode, further underscoring its long-term commitment to strengthening primary healthcare in the state.

Community leaders, healthcare stakeholders, and residents have been invited to witness the commissioning ceremonies, which signal not just the opening of buildings, but the beginning of improved, accessible, and dignified healthcare services for thousands of residents.

NANNNA, a unified body of Nigerian nurses’ associations and nursing school alumni in North America, represents over 6,000 Nigerian-origin nurses across the Americas. Through collective action, the organisation continues to invest skills, resources, and passion into improving healthcare outcomes in Nigeria—proving that distance is no barrier to service, and that healing can indeed begin from afar.