By Samuel Sunday
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria and legal icon, Chief Wole Olanipekun has donated a fully equipped ultra-modern mother and child maternity complex to the State Specialist Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti, in a move described as a major boost to healthcare in Ekiti State.
The facility, named the “NewCruse Mother and Child Maternity Complex”, was built and furnished by Olanipekun and his family. It was unveiled on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ogoga of Ikere and Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Obas Oba Adejimi Adu, and other dignitaries.
Speaking at the unveiling, Olanipekun said the donation reflects his lifelong commitment to giving back to Ikere and Ekiti State. He appealed to indigenes at home and abroad to invest in their communities, stressing that meaningful progress requires collective effort.
“Leadership is about sacrifice, not what I can take but what I should give,” he said. “Ekiti’s transformation will require its people to deliberately commit resources toward improving healthcare, education, and infrastructure in their hometowns.”
Olanipekun also urged greater civic participation, citing low voter registration figures in the area as a concern that needed urgent attention. He thanked his mentor, Afe Babalola, for his guidance and contributions to national development.
Federal Government representatives at the event said the facility would help reduce maternal and child mortality by addressing gaps in access to skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care. They noted that expanding quality maternal and newborn services is central to Nigeria’s commitment under the Sustainable Development Goals to lower preventable deaths.
In his address, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji described Olanipekun as a father figure and benefactor whose interventions have left visible footprints across Ekiti.
“I am appealing to all Ekiti indigenes, male and female, anywhere we are that God has helped, let us remember home. Because at the end of the day, home will still be home,” he said.
The governor announced that five of six temporary staff previously engaged at the facility had been absorbed into the state civil service, with the sixth position to follow. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for acknowledging Olanipekun’s philanthropy in a personal letter.
His Ondo State Counterpart, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said the donation represented philanthropy at its best—practical, targeted and life-saving.
“This is the revolution we need in Nigeria: not the revolution of slogans and armchair criticisms, but the revolution of responsibility, where the lawyer builds clinics, the trader funds schools, and government becomes the enabler,” he said.
Former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande said true success is measured by positive impact on lives. He described the maternity complex as hope for the sick, dignity for the vulnerable, and proof that nation-building can begin from one institution, one community.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Ogoga of Ikere praised Olanipekun’s record of service and called on other Ekiti indigenes to invest in their homeland. The Ogoga disclosed that the hospital had received accreditation for medical doctors and appealed for its upgrade to a Federal Medical Centre.
Health data shows Nigeria accounts for about 14% of global maternal deaths, with most occurring due to preventable causes. Experts say access to equipped facilities and skilled personnel can significantly reduce these numbers.
