The Federal Government has reaffirmed its plan to boost health financing by mobilising more domestic resources and reducing dependence on foreign aid. The goal is to make quality healthcare accessible to all Nigerians without pushing families into financial hardship.
Speaking at the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle Salako, said Nigeria aims to enroll at least 44 million citizens in the National Health Insurance Scheme by 2030. This move, he explained, will reduce out-of-pocket health expenses, which currently stand at about 70 percent — one of the highest rates globally.
The dialogue, themed “Reimagining a New Era of Health Financing,” was organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to chart sustainable funding strategies for universal health coverage (UHC).
Salako noted that President Bola Tinubu has prioritised health reforms through increased budgetary allocations and policies to protect vulnerable Nigerians. He highlighted ongoing initiatives such as:
- An upward trend in the national health budget, which grew from ₦434 billion in 2018 to ₦2.48 trillion in 2025.
- The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which allocates one percent of federal revenue for primary healthcare, with plans to expand it to two percent.
- The NHIA Act of 2022, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and establishes a Vulnerable Group Fund to cover the poor.
Despite these efforts, Nigeria still falls short of the 15 percent Abuja Declaration target for health financing, with the 2025 allocation representing only 5.18 percent of the federal budget.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, stressed that Nigeria must rely less on external support and more on its own resources. “We cannot build a healthy nation on the backs of other people’s taxpayers,” he said. “Health requires deliberate and consistent investment. Government, the private sector, and civil society must work together to achieve this.”
Pate added that Nigeria spends about $120 per capita on health, with two-thirds of this coming directly from households. He called for mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians to spread risks and reduce financial shocks from medical expenses.
The Director-General of NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, also noted that global health financing is shifting away from donor dependency. He said Nigeria must adapt by mobilising domestic resources at the federal, state, and local levels to meet rising health demands.
The government emphasised that reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda will focus on saving lives, reducing financial burdens, and achieving universal health coverage for all Nigerians.
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