Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged paediatricians in Nigeria to combine medical expertise with empathy as they care for children and advocate for their rights and wellbeing.
He made the remarks while receiving members of the executive council of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), led by its President, Dr Ekanem Ekure, during a courtesy visit to Abeokuta on Monday.
Obasanjo said paediatricians held a special responsibility because children often depended entirely on them to interpret symptoms and speak on their behalf. He noted that effective paediatric care required patience, compassion and close attention to detail.
Describing advocacy for children as a duty he readily accepted, the former president pledged his support for the association’s campaigns. He said that although his children were grown and had families of their own, his obligation to children would never cease.
“You belong to a very important profession, one that deals with life and death,” Obasanjo said, stressing the need for doctors to truly understand the experiences of their young patients.
Earlier, Dr Ekure commended Obasanjo for his long-standing contributions to national development and leadership. She appealed to him to serve as an advocate for Nigerian children, highlighting concerns over preventable diseases, malnutrition and the violation of children’s rights.
She added that Obasanjo’s voice, as a respected elder statesman, carried significant weight and could help draw greater public and government attention to issues affecting children and adolescents across the country.
