Top officials from the Nigerian Ministry of Health and its agencies have pledged to pursue evidence-driven reforms, promote innovation, and strengthen financing to improve healthcare service delivery nationwide.
The commitment was made on Thursday during the National Health Dialogue held at Fraser Suites, Abuja, which brought together policymakers, health innovators, journalists, and civil society representatives.
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Organised by PREMIUM TIMES in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), the event was themed “Evidence, Innovation, and Financing for a Healthier Nigeria.”
The dialogue explored gaps in the country’s health system, advanced accountability, and sought practical solutions to enhance public health outcomes.
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The forum provided a platform for government officials, global health leaders, journalists, civil society actors, and innovators to discuss challenges and identify evidence-based, innovative strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
In his submission, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said the federal government is pushing for the highest health allocation in Nigeria’s history, ending wasteful spending practices and strengthening accountability across the system.
Mr Pate said he expects Nigeria’s 2026 budget to move closer to a six per cent health allocation, “the highest ever” in federal spending.
The minister said the ministry has ended decades-old spending patterns in which much of the health budget went to workshops, meetings and administrative activities.
“In 2023, 61 per cent of the Excel funding went to policy and monitoring workshops. This year… 91 per cent is going directly to service delivery,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for more efficient spending, with greater emphasis on primary healthcare, hospitals, cancer care, intensive care, and affordability.
Earlier, in his keynote address, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, said evidence, innovation, and adequate financing are essential for improving health service delivery nationwide.
“Over the past two years, the government has completed more than 2,000 additional primary healthcare facilities, many fully equipped and staffed. More than 70,000 health workers have been trained in the same period, while primary healthcare centres have recorded between 46 and 47 million service visits.”
“Maternal and child health remains a focus, with millions of pregnant women now being followed through the system, and antenatal care attendance rising by 22.5 per cent,” Mr Aina said.
He also highlighted innovations such as digital tracking systems, digitised financial management, and improved connectivity for vaccination campaigns, all aimed at improving accountability and service efficiency.
Mr Aina stressed the need for deeper collaboration with state governments, civil society, and the media to strengthen accountability, expand access, and build community trust in the primary healthcare system.
NACA Reaffirms Commitment to HIV Response
In her goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, commended PREMIUM TIMES and CJID for providing a platform to deepen accountability in health reporting.
She highlighted the intersection of journalism, public health, and national development, noting that quality reportage shapes policy, strengthens public trust, and saves lives.
Mrs Ilori reaffirmed NACA’s commitment to sustaining gains in the HIV response through evidence-driven coordination, strengthened partnerships, and a focus on prevention and treatment.
She described the dialogue as a timely opportunity to reflect on progress, address persistent bottlenecks, and chart pathways toward a people-centred health system.
“Return to functional primary health care”
The WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, represented by Taiwo Hamzat of the organisation’s Supply Chain Management unit, described Nigeria as being at a pivotal moment in health-sector reform.
While routine immunisation coverage has improved from five per cent in 2013 to 39 per cent in 2024, inefficiency, inequity, and weak accountability continue to slow progress, he said.
Mr Ursu stressed that meaningful transformation must begin at the community level, recalling that primary healthcare was the only point of contact for most families during his childhood in a rural community. He urged a “return to the days when primary health care worked for every Nigerian family.”
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He called for consistent policies, stronger accountability frameworks, and credible data to guide planning and budgeting. He said the WHO is supporting Nigeria to strengthen digital health regulation, community-led innovations, and data systems that inform evidence-driven decisions.
Mr Ursu also highlighted the urgency of sustainable health financing. With out-of-pocket payments accounting for 71 per cent of health spending, millions remain vulnerable to financial hardship, he said.
.Although enrolment in the National Health Insurance Authority grew from 16.7 million in 2023 to 19.2 million in 2024, he said the government must do more to meet its 2025 target of 44 million insured Nigerians.
He called for meaningful youth engagement and gender equity, noting that 63 per cent of the population is under 25. Young people must be central to designing and monitoring health policies, while women deserve equitable access to services and leadership opportunities, he said.
Participants emphasised that Nigeria stands at a crucial point in health reform. While gains have been made in immunisation coverage, primary healthcare and workforce training, inefficiencies, inequities, and weak accountability remain challenges.
At the event, other health experts reiterated the need for sustainable financing, stronger policy consistency, gender equity, and youth engagement.
They also called for collaboration between governments, civil society, media, and communities to ensure that reforms are practical, evidence-based, and inclusive.
The dialogue reinforced that evidence, innovation, and proper finance are key to achieving a more people-centred, equitable, and efficient health system in Nigeria.
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