The Atlantic Bell

For most Nigerians, paying for treatment is a daily struggle.

Available data indicates that out-of-pocket expenses account for more than 70 per cent of health costs, pushing families into poverty and leaving the most vulnerable without care.

National spending on health remains below five per cent of GDP, far short of the 15 per cent target set in the 2001 Abuja Declaration.

Primary healthcare centres often lack basic equipment, teaching hospitals are overstretched; and medical professionals continue to leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad.

In the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), a heavily pregnant woman carrying twins tragically lost her babies after being turned away from multiple hospitals.

Told to pay ₦28,000 and provide a referral letter, she walked several kilometres to secure the documents, only to return too late.

Investigations revealed the twins had died in her womb days earlier, likely due to delays in receiving timely medical care.

Similarly, in Akwa Ibom, a mother and her newborn died following a caesarean section at the General Hospital in Ikot Ekpene.

Relatives alleged that hospital staff left the woman unattended for over three hours, and no blood was available during surgery.

The incident prompted Gov. Umo Eno to establish a commission of inquiry.

These heartbreaking stories highlight the financial, infrastructural, and systemic barriers facing millions of Nigerians, particularly women and children.

At the recent National Health Financing Dialogue in Abuja, policymakers, development partners, and stakeholders grappled with a pressing question:

How can Nigeria re-imagine healthcare funding to ensure access, affordability, and quality for all?

Over the past two years, the government has implemented reforms aimed at saving lives, reducing financial hardship, and improving healthcare access.

These reforms include revitalising primary healthcare facilities, equipping them with essential commodities, and retraining more 67,000 frontline health workers.

More than 8,000 facilities now receive regular federal disbursements to ensure continuity of services.

On the demand side, insurance coverage has been expanded to vulnerable populations.

The urgency of the conversation extends far beyond policy documents; it is a conversation about healthcare as a fundamental human right.

Through the Vulnerable Groups Fund and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, Al-Majiri children, and out-of-school children can access essential services without facing catastrophic costs.

Emergency care support has also been strengthened; more than 5,000 women have had caesarean sections reimbursed, and programmes have been established to provide treatment for obstetric fistula at no cost.

As the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, emphasised, health reforms were not just abstract policies; they are tangible and measurable with clear human impact.

“Historically, the Nigerian elite have benefited more from public resources than the poorest.

“We are changing that,” Pate said.

In his submission, Prof. John Ele-Ojo Ataguba, Executive Director of the African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA), said that universal health coverage (UHC) was a journey, not a destination.

Successful countries combine contributory and non-contributory schemes, and Nigeria is now pursuing both.

“The contributory component consists of national and state health insurance schemes, while the non-contributory element is represented by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which subsidises care for those unable to pay, particularly in the informal sector.

“Despite these efforts, out-of-pocket spending remains a major challenge.

“Illnesses are unpredictable; families should not have to sell assets to survive a medical emergency,” Ataguba said.

Dr Gafar Alawode, the Chief Executive Officer, DGI Consult, highlighted the importance of optimising resources and coordination.

“Before now, multiple actors, government tiers, the private sector, and donors spent in uncoordinated ways.

“With a sector-wide approach, two plus two can become five or six instead of one or zero,” Alawode explained.

Yet, while politicians and technocrats debate financing models, youth and grassroots women leaders say they remain excluded from decision-making.

Mr Seniye Michael, a youth activist, lamented that leaders often attend high-level meetings briefly, make remarks, and leave, leaving young people dialoguing with themselves.

Michael proposed a Youth Health Access Fund to directly finance medical needs for young people.

Mrs Hauwa Adamu, leader of the Wives of Traditional Rulers Network, echoed this call.

“Policies are often written for us without us; women’s lived experiences must shape advocacy and project design,” Adamu said.

The dialogue highlighted a key principle: health is a unifying force. Universal health coverage strengthens human capital, builds social cohesion, and protects society from preventable diseases.

As Pate explained, ensuring that even rural populations have access to care is in everyone’s enlightened self-interest.

Participants at the dialogue agreed that, private sector partnerships, tax reforms, and public engagement are crucial to sustaining these gains.

Governments at all levels, alongside citizens, must commit to funding, transparency, and accountability.

The road to universal health coverage remains long, but the trajectory is clear.

Stakeholders say Nigeria is building an inclusive health system that prioritises the vulnerable, reduces preventable deaths, and protects citizens from financial catastrophe.

This transformation is about more than policies; it is about saving lives, empowering communities, and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The tragic stories from the FCT and Akwa Ibom remind us why this work matters; behind every statistic is a human life, and policies must protect those lives.

Ensuring healthcare access, affordability, and quality is not a political gesture; it is a moral imperative.

As Nigeria continues its journey towards inclusive healthcare, these reforms and initiatives must be sustained, monitored, and adapted to local realities.

Experts say when healthcare systems function effectively, the impact is profound: maternal and child deaths decline, families are protected from financial ruin, and social trust in institutions strengthens.

Ultimately, the story of Nigeria’s healthcare reform is one of hope and resilience; it reflects the determination of policymakers, healthcare workers, activists, and ordinary citizens to transform a fragmented system into one that is inclusive, equitable, and people-centred.

While challenges remain, including limited funding, workforce shortages, and systemic inefficiencies, the commitment is evident.

With sustained focus and participation from all sectors, Nigeria can achieve a healthcare system where policy meets people, and where access to quality care is not a privilege but a right for every citizen.

Observers say for every Nigerian mother walking miles for a referral letter, for every child denied life-saving care due to financial constraints, the ongoing reforms represent a future where health policies translate into real, tangible benefits for all.

(NAN Features)

The Federal Government on Thursday formally inaugurated the Governing Councils and Principal Officers of four newly established federal universities,FG Inaugurate Councils, Officers Of Four Universities reaffirming its commitment to expanding access to quality higher education in Nigeria.

The universities include: Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho, Oyo State, and Federal University of Health Sciences and Technology, Tsafe, Zamfara State.

Others are Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano, and Federal University of Education, Zaria, Kaduna State.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the establishment of the universities as a strategic intervention by the Tinubu administration, aimed at addressing pressing national challenges such as food security, public health, climate change, renewable energy, and technological innovation.

“This is not just an expansion of Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape. It is a deliberate, strategic response to the urgent and interconnected challenges confronting our nation and the world,” Alausa said.

He noted the deliberate siting of the universities: Okeho, located in Nigeria’s agriculturally rich South-West, was chosen for its vast agricultural potential.

“Tsafe, in the North-West, lies in a region with abundant natural and human resources but in need of strengthened health and educational infrastructure to unlock its full potential.”

The minister urged the newly inaugurated councils and principal officers to provide visionary leadership, uphold merit and accountability, and protect university autonomy.

He charged Vice-Chancellors to lay strong institutional foundations that would define their universities’ identities and excellence for generations to come.

Alausa also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, in partnership with TETFund and development agencies, to provide infrastructure, support research, and strengthen institutional capacity through reforms in quality assurance, autonomy, and performance-based funding.

“We want universities that are not just established but empowered to lead,” he said.

He called on staff, students, regulators, and host communities to embrace a shared vision of excellence and work together to build institutions that reflected national pride.

In his remarks, Sen. Yakubu Oseni, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho, pledged to work with all stakeholders to transform the institution.

He said the goal was to make it a hub for agricultural innovation, research, and technological advancement.

He thanked President Tinubu for the appointment and assured that the Council’s work would align with the administration’s vision to strengthen Nigeria’s education system.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, today reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to reducing malaria prevalence to below one per cent.

Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance at the mid-term review meeting of the IMPACT Project and the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Programme held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island.

According to him, the state is on course to shift from a high-burden to a pre-elimination stage.

He said the initiative, launched on March 4, was designed to turn hope into tangible results by deploying evidence, technology and collaboration to combat malaria.

According to the governor, funding from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and other partners has enabled Lagos to expand targeted activities at key points of care and strengthen its monitoring capacity.

A major plank of the strategy, he noted, “is digitisation including real-time reporting systems and digital platforms in public and private facilities to close information gaps that slow diagnosis, reporting and response.

“Through partnerships with innovative companies and the roll out of digital pharmacy and facility software.

“We are enhancing diagnostic accuracy, standardising case management and integrating private providers into the state surveillance system,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said malaria continued to impose huge social and economic costs on Lagos residents through lost school days, diminished wages and pressure on the health system.

Hence the drive to cut prevalence to pre-elimination levels by improving diagnostics, ensuring consistent treatment and engaging communities.

He identified accountability, scale and quality, and community ownership as the three key focused areas of the review.

On accountability, the governor called for strict adherence to rapid diagnostic testing and timely reporting by private pharmacies and patent medicine vendors.

On scale and quality, he stressed the need to extend interventions to hard-to-reach areas without compromising standards, through training, supervision and integration with the Ilera Eko health-financing platform to guarantee affordable access to care.

” I urge households and communities to play their part by eliminating mosquito breeding sites, testing promptly and trusting the health system.

” Supported by effective communication, community health workers and collaboration with traditional leaders, market groups and schools,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu commended development partners including the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, WHO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Others are, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Maisha Meds, Society for Family Health, private hospitals, pharmacies and community providers for their support.

He also applauded the Ministry of Health, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHV) for progress made so far.

The  governor, however, urged them to sustain the momentum by drawing up a solid operational plan for the next quarter.

The governor appealed to residents to contribute to the fight by using treated nets, getting rid of stagnant water and testing before taking anti-malarials.

According to him, such individual actions will help achieve a malaria-free Lagos.

“Let us commit to being transparent with our data, ensuring quality care in both public and private sectors and empowering our communities.

“Together with government, partners, health workers, private sector and community leaders, we can make Lagos a shining example of effective malaria control,”he said.