The Lagos State Government, through the Office of Sustainable Development Goals, has organised a strategic forum with the State’s public health practitioners and the management of Loughborough University, UK, to drive impact in advancing quality health delivery that meets global best practices.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih, emphasised the importance of partnerships and collaboration with global institutions to facilitate knowledge exchange and strengthen collaborative efforts in addressing pressing public health and sustainability issues in Lagos State. In her welcome address at the strategic forum organised by Lagos State Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Loughborough University, UK, at the Lagos State College of Medicine (LASUTH), Ikeja, Dr Oreoluwa explained that integrating diverse perspectives, the forum seeks to promote collaborative strategies to advance public health outcomes and sustainable policies, and accelerating local progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
She stated that Lagos sits at the crossroads of rapid urbanisation, demographic growth, and persistent development needs, highlighting that the dynamics have made the pursuit of SDGs urgent and complex. She noted that nowhere is this complexity more visible than in the State’s public health landscape, where environmental factors, infrastructure gaps, and social vulnerabilities converge.
Reeling out other essentials of the collaboration, she revealed that there will be increased access to resources, improved healthcare delivery, and enhanced capacity building. The collaborations will foster knowledge sharing, innovation, and the development of sustainable solutions to healthcare challenges, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and stronger health systems.
In her words, “This forum offers an opportunity to move beyond broad policy statements toward more targeted, data-informed approaches. The insights shared here, whether from academic research, clinical practice, or public administration, will be instrumental in shaping policies that are contextually relevant and operationally feasible”.
“I have seen the value of partnerships that go beyond symbolic commitments. In recent months, our office has worked with stakeholders across health, education, and economic inclusion to pilot integrated interventions, particularly for women and underserved communities. These efforts have reinforced a simple but important lesson: development outcomes improve when solutions are co-designed, evidence-led, and inclusive,” Dr Finnih submitted.
The Special Adviser restated the State Government’s commitment to enhancing the link between science and policy, emphasising that the government’s role is to support platforms such as this and to translate the knowledge generated into action, whether through programme design, institutional reform, or inter-agency coordination. In his remarks, Professor Sam Grogan, Head of the Delegation from Loughborough University and the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, stated that the University is committed to strengthening collaboration across diverse health departments in all Lagos Medical institutions.
The event, which was organised to strengthen collaboration between Lagos State Health institutions, brought together government stakeholders, public health practitioners, academia, and university students to facilitate knowledge exchange and bolster collaborative efforts tailored towards addressing the pressing public health and sustainability issues in Lagos State.
Those in attendance from Loughborough University included Professor Amanda Daley, Professor of Behavioural Medicine and Director of the Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behavior; Dr Sola Afolabi, Associate Professor in Water and Environmental Engineering, International Special Envoy to Sub-Saharan Africa; Dr Hilbbah Osei-Kwasi, Associate Professor in Nutrition and Public Health, International Special Envoy to Sub-Saharan Africa and Florence Mutero, Global Engagement Officer (Nigeria and Ghana).
The Permanent Secretary of the Office of Sustainable Development Goals was also in attendance, along with stakeholders from LASU/LASUCOM, including Professor Olufemi Idowu, Provost, and Professor Sunday Soyemi, Deputy Provost, among other notable dignitaries.
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