Pistis Foundation’s UBOMI Healthcare Outreach Thrills Ibadan Residents

Residents of Ibadan have continued to benefit from the 2026 edition of UBOMI, the flagship free medical and surgical outreach of Pistis Foundation, the non-profit social intervention vehicle of The Elevation Church.

The Pistis Hub in Ibadan has been busy since Monday, September 21, with patients of different ages and with various health conditions accessing free medical services under the five-day outreach.

The 2026 UBOMI Ibadan edition is targeting 5,000 beneficiaries, as the organisers expand the initiative beyond Lagos for the first time in its history.

Speaking at the official opening of the outreach at Pistis Hub 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 make quality healthcare accessible to economically disadvantaged individuals and communities.

Thomas 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.

“Our supporters and partners have continued to keep faith with us in ensuring that we sustain this outreach, and coming to Ibadan is part of our plan to take it beyond Lagos.

“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.”

The Founder and Executive Director of Pro-Health International, Dr. Iko Ibanga, whose organisation has served as the technical partner of UBOMI for the past six years, said the programme had provided a range of surgical interventions, including hernia, eye, fibroid and dental surgeries.

He added that the programme also provides medical care for beneficiaries with other health needs.

“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,” Ibanga 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.

According to him, the programme is open to people of all faiths and is designed to meet the healthcare needs of everyone without discrimination.

“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,” Afolayan said.

The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Adewumi Ajetunmobi, commended the leadership of The Elevation Church for bringing the outreach to Ibadan and reaffirmed the state government’s support for initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare.

She also called on well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate the initiative by supporting efforts to address the healthcare needs of residents.

Since its founding in 2019, UBOMI has directly addressed gaps in access to quality healthcare for underserved Nigerians, delivering 48,706 verified medical interventions at a 99 per cent surgical success rate.

The programme provides a broad range of services, including medical consultations, diagnostic investigations, pharmaceutical support, dental care, eye care, general and specialist surgical procedures, health education and other healthcare services, all at no cost to beneficiaries.

UBOMI 2026 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 is a non-profit social intervention vehicle of The Elevation Church, established in 2018 to address critical areas of social vulnerability through interventions focused on health, education and shelter.

Godman Akinlabi is the Founder and Board Chair of Pistis Foundation. UBOMI, the foundation’s flagship health initiative, was established to improve access to quality healthcare for underserved communities at no cost to beneficiaries.

Since 2019, the programme has expanded its medical reach through partnerships with healthcare institutions, technical partners, government agencies, medical professionals and volunteers.