Senator Dayo Faduyile, a Professor of Pathology, is the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District. In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on his representation so far since he replaced Senator Jimoh Ibrahim in the Red Chamber. Excerpt:
Since succeeding Senator Jimoh Ibrahim in June 2026, what substantive legislative interventions have you made, and what measurable outcomes have they produced?
My approach to representation is that the Senate must be a platform for solving problems, not merely making speeches. Since assuming office, I have brought urgent public health preparedness and the survival of vulnerable coastal communities to the attention of the Senate. My motion on Ebola preparedness resulted in Senate resolutions seeking emergency funding, mandatory health screening at international airports, seaports and designated land borders, and stronger disease surveillance. Another motion secured Senate attention for comprehensive shoreline protection in Ayetoro, where ocean incursion has destroyed a substantial proportion of the community’s buildings and infrastructure. These are concrete legislative outcomes. However, I recognise that resolutions must translate into implementation before we can claim the full benefits. My responsibility is to sustain the pressure until the relevant authorities act.
What concrete steps have followed your motion on Ebola preparedness?
The Senate adopted resolutions calling for emergency funding from the Service-Wide Vote, enhanced surveillance and mandatory screening at Nigeria’s international entry points. We also highlighted the need for adequate staffing, protective equipment, thermal scanners, isolation facilities and stronger coordination among the NCDC, Port Health Services and other relevant agencies. My concern is that epidemic preparedness cannot depend on reacting after an infection has crossed our borders. Nigeria must invest in early detection, rapid response and effective contact tracing. The resolutions establish a legislative mandate for action. The next stage is to obtain implementation reports from the responsible agencies, establish whether emergency resources have been released and determine whether screening capacity has improved. Public health security must be judged by operational readiness, not announcements alone.
Have you advanced the modernisation of the Quarantine Act of 1926?
Yes, the need to modernise the Quarantine Act was raised as part of the Senate’s response to the Ebola threat. The existing framework must be brought into line with contemporary public health realities and the International Health Regulations. Modern legislation should clearly define responsibilities, provide enforceable procedures for surveillance and emergency response, support coordination across agencies and protect citizens’ rights while safeguarding public health. The Senate has resolved to engage the executive and relevant health authorities on the proposed reform. The immediate task is to develop appropriate amendments and advance them through the legislative process. I would not describe the law as amended until that process is completed. My objective is to ensure that Nigeria possesses a modern, effective and accountable legal framework for managing public health emergencies.
Beyond raising the alarm over Ayetoro, what commitments and implementation timelines have you secured?
Ayetoro is a humanitarian, environmental and economic emergency. Reports before the Senate indicated that approximately 80 per cent of its buildings had been lost to ocean incursion. Families, fishing livelihoods, public facilities and the community’s cultural heritage are all threatened. My motion called for a comprehensive shoreline protection programme involving the Federal Ministry of Environment, the NDDC, the Ondo State Government and OSOPADEC. It also sought a transparent review of previous and ongoing shoreline protection contracts, including their funding, implementation status and outstanding obligations. The Senate directed its relevant committees to monitor implementation and report back within four weeks. It also called for emergency humanitarian assistance and exploration of international climate adaptation financing. The next test is delivery. We must establish what has been funded, what remains outstanding and when affected residents can expect protection. I will continue to press for that accountability.
As a Professor of Pathology and former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), how have you brought your professional expertise to bear on legislation?
My medical training has taught me that decisions must be informed by evidence, risk assessment and the consequences of inaction. My experience leading the Nigerian Medical Association also gave me insight into the challenges facing health professionals and the institutions responsible for public health. These experiences influenced my intervention on epidemic preparedness. I understand the importance of surveillance, laboratory capacity, trained personnel, adequate equipment and coordinated emergency response. However, professional knowledge must be translated into sound public policy. My responsibility in the Senate is to ask the right questions, challenge inadequate preparedness, scrutinise government commitments and insist on measurable results. I believe Nigeria benefits when professional competence strengthens legislative debate and oversight.
What development projects and programmes have you facilitated for Ondo South since assuming office?
My understanding of constituency development goes beyond distributing immediate benefits. It includes protecting lives, defending livelihoods, attracting public investment and ensuring that communities receive the services to which they are entitled. My intervention on Ayetoro is directly connected to the survival of our coastal communities. Protecting homes, fishing activities, schools and healthcare facilities is fundamental to development. Beyond this intervention, I believe the people deserve a transparent account of constituency projects, budgetary allocations, employment opportunities and infrastructure commitments. Such claims should be supported by project records, funding information and evidence of delivery. I will not substitute announcements for completed work. The ultimate objective is to ensure that Ondo South receives tangible and verifiable development benefits.
What oversight activities have you undertaken, and what corrective actions have resulted?
Legislative oversight must connect policy decisions to implementation. My interventions have drawn attention to gaps in public health preparedness and longstanding difficulties surrounding shoreline protection in Ayetoro. In the health sector, the Senate’s resolutions provide a basis for examining emergency funding, screening arrangements, equipment, staffing and agency preparedness. On Ayetoro, the call for a review of previous and ongoing contracts is particularly important because citizens deserve to know what was approved, what was spent, what was delivered and what remains unfinished. The relevant committees must obtain evidence from responsible agencies and report their findings. Where failures or irregularities are established, appropriate corrective measures should follow. Oversight is meaningful only when it improves public administration and protects public resources.
Apart from Ebola preparedness and Ayetoro, what other national policy questions have you placed before the Senate?
My legislative approach is guided by the relationship between national policy and the everyday welfare of citizens. Public health security and environmental protection demonstrate that local problems can have national implications. The Ebola motion addressed the vulnerability of Nigeria’s international entry points and the need for a stronger national emergency response framework. The Ayetoro motion raised broader questions about coastal erosion, climate adaptation financing, environmental accountability and the protection of vulnerable settlements. The adoption of these motions shows that the issues received the Senate’s attention and resulted in formal resolutions. Their wider influence must ultimately be assessed through executive action, budgetary commitments, legislative follow-through and measurable improvements. I intend to keep these issues alive until the required results are achieved.
What evidence demonstrates that your professional background and contributions offer distinctive value to the Senate?
Institutions are strengthened when experience, competence and institutional memory inform decision-making. My background in medicine, university teaching and professional leadership gives me a perspective that complements the political experience of other legislators. The Senate’s response to the Ebola threat illustrates how specialist knowledge can help identify risks, propose preventive measures and stimulate action before a public health emergency becomes more difficult to contain. Similarly, my intervention on Ayetoro demonstrates the importance of connecting environmental problems to engineering, funding, humanitarian needs and public accountability. I appreciate the Senate President’s emphasis on recognising legislators who contribute professional and institutional value. Ultimately, competence must be demonstrated through the quality of our interventions and the outcomes they produce, not through titles alone.
What verifiable achievements would you present to an independent performance audit today?
I would begin with the formal Senate resolutions arising from my interventions on Ebola preparedness and Ayetoro’s shoreline protection. These provide documentary evidence of issues raised and actions adopted by the chamber. I would then submit the relevant motions, proceedings, committee reports and available records of follow-up engagements. An independent audit should also examine constituency projects, budgetary commitments, expenditure, implementation timelines and the actual benefits delivered to citizens. I do not believe that representation should be assessed by political visibility alone. It should be evaluated against clear indicators: legislative productivity, policy influence, oversight effectiveness, constituency development and public accountability. My outstanding commitments include pursuing the implementation of the Senate’s health preparedness resolutions, advancing the modernisation of public health legislation and ensuring sustained attention to Ayetoro and other vulnerable coastal communities. The people of Ondo South deserve a representative who understands their problems, can articulate them effectively at the national level and remains accountable for the results. That is the standard by which I expect my service to be judged.
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