UBOMI: Pistis Foundation takes free medical, surgical outreach to Ibadan

Residents of Ibadan have begun benefiting from free medical and surgical services under the 2026 edition of UBOMI, the flagship healthcare intervention of Pistis Foundation, the social intervention vehicle of The Elevation Church.

The five-day outreach, which began on Monday, September 21, at Pistis Hub, Ibadan, is targeting about 5,000 beneficiaries, marking the first time the initiative is being held outside Lagos since its establishment.

Patients of different ages and with various health conditions have been visiting the centre to access free consultations, medical investigations, drugs and surgical interventions.

Speaking at the official opening of the outreach on Tuesday, September 22, the Executive Director of Pistis Foundation, Leonard F. Thomas, said the decision to take UBOMI to Ibadan was driven by the need to bridge the healthcare access gap among economically disadvantaged people.

Thomas said UBOMI was in its 10th year and that the Ibadan edition represented a major expansion of the programme.

He said, “UBOMI is in its 10th year, and this is the first time we are taking it outside Lagos and the first time in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

“We believe healthcare is a necessity for everyone, but we also believe that not everyone can afford quality healthcare. It is not that they do not want it, but accessing it is not affordable for them.

“With UBOMI, we have come to close the gap by providing quality healthcare to people who cannot afford it, at no cost to them.”

Thomas said the foundation had received support from partners within and outside Nigeria to sustain the initiative, adding that the turnout in Ibadan had encouraged the organisers to expand its reach.

He said, “We are excited with the turnout in Ibadan, and we believe that we can meet the health needs of over 5,000 people before we hold the Lagos edition next month.

“We have received support from all our partners within and outside the country, and we are hopeful that we can continue with this ideal of providing and meeting the health needs of economically disadvantaged individuals and communities across the country.”

Also speaking, the Founder and Executive Director of Pro-Health International, Dr Iko Ibanga, said his organisation, which has served as UBOMI’s technical partner for six years, had provided various surgical interventions through the programme.

According to him, the interventions include hernia, eye, fibroid and dental surgeries, as well as other forms of medical care.

Ibanga said the programme had recorded a 99 per cent surgical success rate over the past six years.

“We believe this programme has impacted tremendously on individuals and communities. Coming to Ibadan for the first time is a step forward for UBOMI, and we are glad that we have been able to perform surgeries with a 99 per cent success rate in the last six years,” he said.

The Resident Pastor of The Elevation Church, Ibadan, Pastor Oluwaseun Afolayan, said UBOMI was inspired by the Christian teaching of loving one’s neighbour.

Afolayan stressed that the programme was open to people of all faiths and was not restricted to members of the church.

He said, “This programme is for all faiths, regardless of religion, because our watchword as a church is to meet the health needs of all people without focusing on a particular group.

“It is not political, and since we started on Monday, people of various faiths have benefited and are still benefiting from UBOMI.

“We hope this will become a continuous initiative for the people of Oyo State. It is open to everybody and comes at no cost.”

The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Adewumi Ajetunmobi, commended the leadership of The Elevation Church for bringing the outreach to Ibadan.

She reaffirmed the state government’s support for initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare and called on well-meaning individuals and organisations to support efforts to meet the healthcare needs of residents.

Since its establishment, UBOMI has provided free healthcare services to underserved Nigerians through partnerships with healthcare institutions, government agencies, medical professionals and volunteers.

The programme offers medical consultations, diagnostic investigations, pharmaceutical support, dental and eye care, general and specialist surgical procedures, health education and other healthcare services at no cost to beneficiaries.

The 2026 edition is being delivered in partnership with The Elevation Church in Ibadan and Lagos, Pro-Health International as the technical partner and Zenithcare Hospital, Oyo State, as the medical institutional partner.

Pistis Foundation was established in 2018 by The Elevation Church to address areas of social vulnerability, with interventions focused on health, education and shelter.

Godman Akinlabi is the Founder and Board Chair of the foundation, while UBOMI remains its flagship healthcare initiative.