The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sweeping health financing reforms, expansion of mandatory health insurance and strengthened primary healthcare as part of efforts to build a resilient health system capable of serving all Nigerians.
Speaking at the APC Medical Council Health Roundtable Conference held at the State Banquet Hall, Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the last five years had severely tested health systems globally, from the COVID-19 pandemic to declining international development assistance.
“The last half a decade has tested health systems globally in unprecedented ways,” he said, noting that reductions in health support from major donors had exposed vulnerabilities while underscoring “the power of coordinated action, innovation and political commitment.”
Citing preliminary results from the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, Salako said maternal mortality has declined to 512 deaths per 100,000 live births from 576 in 2018, while under-five mortality dropped to 110 deaths per 1,000 live births from 132 in 2018.
Skilled birth attendance rose from 43 per cent to 53 per cent, and full immunisation coverage improved to 39 per cent from 31 per cent in 2018.
Despite these gains, he acknowledged that major gaps persist. Government health expenditure stands at 5.2 per cent of GDP—well below the 15 per cent target of the Abuja Declaration—while per capita health spending is about $43.
National health insurance coverage has grown to between 10 and 13 per cent of the population, yet out-of-pocket spending remains as high as 71 per cent.
“These figures underscore the twin challenges of insufficient investment and catastrophic health expenditure that push millions of Nigerians into poverty annually,” the minister said.
He painted a stark picture of human resource shortages, revealing that Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio is about 1:5,000 compared to the World Health Organisation’s recommended 1:600, while the nurse-to-population ratio is 1:2,000 against the recommended 1:300.
About 75 per cent of health workers, he added, are concentrated in urban areas serving just 45 per cent of the population.
Salako said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, over the past 30 months, rolled out coordinated interventions under the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, anchored on priorities including improved governance, preventive healthcare, expanded insurance coverage and emergency preparedness.
“Our progress is not happening at the pace required to meet the health needs of over 230 million Nigerians. Too many mothers still die in childbirth, too many children do not reach their fifth birthday, and too many families are impoverished by healthcare costs.”
He called for stronger political commitment to increase budgetary allocations, enforce mandatory insurance subscription and expand coverage to vulnerable groups, insisting that universal health coverage remains central to the administration’s agenda.
“The resilient health system we seek is one where every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can access quality healthcare without financial hardship. Only healthy people can produce a prosperous, secure and great country.”
