Health
Will Nigerian Senate Get it Right on Healthcare?
By Carl Ndukwe
The timeless aphorism says that health is wealth yet one of the biggest challenges facing Nigeria since independence has been the country’s inability to guarantee affordable and universal health care to its citizens.
Little wonder we are consistently ranked in the comity of poor nations. Access to healthcare is not only important, it is fundamental to all areas of social development, from combating poverty to achieving a high standard of living.
In May 2017, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria organized a symposium in Lagos, tagged Health of the Nation – the imperative of Interprofessional collaboration. The keynote address delivered by Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, a former Minister of Health and foremost health economist was revealing and damning.
Nigeria, said Lambo, was ranked 187 among 191 countries by World Health Organization in 2000.
X-raying the sundry challenges which the nation’s health system has had to face over the years, Lambo noted that the constitution makes very scant provision for health while there is hardly any legislation that defines the roles and responsibilities of the three tiers of government, while adding that the National Health Act 2014 has not resolved the problem.
In Nigeria today, demands on the health care systems have increased alarmingly and health care organizations are feeling overwhelmed and pressured to provide more timely services while at the same time working with limited human and financial resources. There is an urgent need to strengthen national health systems and improve health outcomes for the citizenry.
According to data from the National Demographic Health Surveys (NDHS), in a research conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, about 900,000 children and mothers die each year in Nigeria from health reasons that could often have been successfully resolved with an effective healthcare system.
Nigeria contributes just under 15 percent of all maternal deaths globally and about 13 percent of all under-five deaths worldwide. If we are to challenge these grim statistics, then we must get good healthcare into every home.
Along these lines, the weakness and gaping holes in our health system especially from an insurance point of view is evidently manifest in the rise of crowd-funded medical cases.
Remember Mayowa of blessed memory, Baby Ade and most recently, Sadiq Daba as well as the many other Nigerians who have resorted to platforms like Gofundme to raise funds for medical reasons. While Nigeria has several private healthcare providers, their service, expensive and limited, are largely exclusive to the well-to-do citizens residing in the cities and urban areas.
The National Health Insurance Scheme, which largely caters to public service employees, is also, as currently constituted, very limited in scope. Neither existing solutions can cater to the healthcare needs of the majority of Nigerians, who are either rural dwellers, unemployed or involved in the informal sector. In view of the aforementioned, the importance of reforming our healthcare system cannot be overemphasized.
Fortunately, it would seem that the need to get our Healthcare system right is fast rising on our list of national priorities and gaining attention in the right quarters. With our population growing astronomically, urbanization more rapid than ever, there is now a greater call for social development to catch up with societal expansion.
It, therefore, gladdens the heart to see some level of advocacy in the National Assembly where senators are tabling bills and debating ideas on how to get an efficient and effective healthcare system for every Nigerian.
Recently, Senate President, Bukola Saraki stated that one of the best ways to achieve Universal Health Coverage was to provide health insurance scheme to the informal sector.
Perhaps, he is drawing from his experience as the Governor of Kwara State, when he introduced the Informal Health Insurance Scheme to cater to people in the rural areas.
To see Saraki leading the charge and leading his colleagues in the upper chambers with the same drive and determination to see healthcare extended to every man, woman and child who is Nigerian is a clean break from the selfish toga with which the Red chamber had been adorned.
The ongoing amendment of the National Health Insurance Scheme is evidence of moving from passion to action. Central to this bill, which seeks to repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme Act and enact the National Health Insurance Commission Bill 2017, is the need to ensure a more effective implementation of a health insurance policy that enhances greater access to health care services for all Nigerians.
This means that the bill would lay down the framework for a universal healthcare care system where everyone pays into the Insurance Scheme and everyone gets quality healthcare delivery, regardless of their employment status or personal wealth. The bill is also geared towards effectively regulating private health insurance providers in Nigeria to ensure that they deliver, not just for the well to do, but also the poor and people in rural areas.
In December, the Senate Committee on Health held a public hearing on the amendment, which was well attended by the representatives of public and private health institutions, regulatory and professional bodies as well as labour and trade unions.
At the public hearing, the Senate Committee Chairman on Health, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso disclosed that in order to ensure that Nigeria attains the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Senate had passed a resolution mandating the Appropriation Committee of the Senate to make provision for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in the 2018 budget.
This is a crucial step toward achieving the objective of the National Health Act, signed into law in 2014, which stipulated that one percent consolidated fund for the improvement of Primary Health Care (PHC) services through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). This consolidated fund means that in addition to what it gets from the annual budget, healthcare would also gain more financing go forward.
Going forward to achieve Universal Healthcare will never be an easy road, but staying on our current path is much worse. This is why we all as Nigerians must follow and actively support the Senate’s resolution, passed last year, to implement the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
At the heart of this resolution is the fundamental principle that to achieve a healthy, and thereby prosperous, society, we need cross subsidization and solidarity in healthcare, whereby the rich support the poor, the well support the sick and the haves support the haves not. Senate bills, acts and resolutions cannot on their own bring these principles to life, they need the active support and buy-in of the general public.
Carl Ndukwe is an Abuja based communications professional.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Over 500 residents of Ajegunle in Lagos enjoyed free healthcare services, comprehensive health education, youth mentorship, and community engagement activities at a one-day event organised by Queens Palm Support Initiative (QPSI).
This is part of the organisation’s Reach 1000 Initiative, deliberately designed to address immediate healthcare needs and empower individuals with the knowledge, resources, and support required to live healthier, more productive, and dignified lives.
QPSI is a non-profit organisation established by Ms Sabrina Ozma dedicated to advancing community development, healthcare advocacy, youth empowerment, leadership education, and social impact interventions across Nigeria. Fou
At the Ajegunle programme held at Bola Ige Millennium School, Tolu Complex, participants received a comprehensive range of healthcare services facilitated by accredited medical professionals, including general medical consultations and health assessments, malaria screening, diagnosis and treatment, blood sugar testing and diabetes awareness, comprehensive eye examinations and vision assessments, as well as specialist neurosurgical consultations provided by medical experts from Dukes Neurosurgery and Specialist Hospital.
Also, Reals Pharmaceutical Limited provided and distributed antimalarial medications to beneficiaries, ensuring continuity of treatment and improved health outcomes beyond the day of the outreach.
Ms Ozma, while speaking at the event, said access to quality healthcare remains one of the most pressing challenges confronting underserved communities across Nigeria.
According to her, interventions such as the Reach 1000 Initiative are deliberately designed to close this gap, not only by addressing immediate healthcare needs but by empowering individuals with the knowledge, resources, and support required to live healthier, more productive, and dignified lives.
Beyond healthcare delivery, the initiative featured structured health education and awareness sessions focused on disease prevention and early symptom recognition, personal hygiene and sanitation best practices, nutrition and food safety, healthy lifestyle habits, and the importance of routine medical check-ups.
In addition, a media personality and youth advocate, Ms Blessing Lopez, led engaging conversations around personal growth, confidence, and purpose-driven living, while entertainer Larry J inspired participants through discussions on resilience, positive decision-making, and the importance of becoming active contributors to societal progress.
The programme also attracted notable participation from government institutions and civil society organisations, highlighting the importance of multi-sector collaboration in addressing community challenges.
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, engaged participants on safeguarding, protection against domestic and sexual violence, and the importance of building safer communities.
Further, representatives of the Cleen Foundation facilitated discussions on crime prevention, community security, and the role of young people in promoting civic responsibility and the rule of law, while the Crime Prevention Partnership (CPP) led discussions on community-led safety strategies and citizen participation in fostering safer neighbourhoods.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government has urged global investors and innovators to tap into the Nigerian healthcare ecosystem, which is projected to grow by 7.1 per cent, reaching a market value of $161.7 million by 2027.
This advice was given by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Mr Isiaq Salako, at the opening of the World Health Expo (WHX in Lagos 2026), formerly known as Medic West Africa, on Tuesday in Lagos.
The broader West African market is expected to reach more than $11 billion, providing investors with an opportunity to get a good return on investment.
“Nigeria is open for healthcare investment. We want platforms like WHX in Lagos to serve as a critical conduit for translating this investment ambition into tangible technology access for our hospitals and patients,” the Minister, who declared the event open on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, said.
He praised the organisers of the expo, which welcomed over 8,000 healthcare professionals and 500 exhibitors spanning 40 countries, for growing the programme into a vital catalyst for West African healthcare transformation.
Addressing the stark reality that between 85 per cent and 99 per cent of medical equipment and in vitro diagnostics in West Africa are currently imported, Mr Salako outlined aggressive federal interventions designed to dismantle supply chain vulnerabilities and skyrocket local manufacturing capabilities.
He also spotlighted key presidential directives, including the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chains (PVAC) and the Presidential Executive Order for the Pharmaceutical and Allied Sectors, both engineered to catalyse health security, drive economic growth, and generate employment through strategic private-sector collaborations and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
“Our commitment to improving access to modern equipment and technologies in hospitals is backed by concrete action. The government has inaugurated the $1.2 billion Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) initiative, a comprehensive overhaul addressing financing, workforce development, and infrastructure.
“Furthermore, for the 2025 fiscal year, the Federal Government committed N402 billion specifically for health sector infrastructure investment,” he stated, also highlighting an expansive health infrastructure upgrade program in partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
According to him, this phased initiative is actively delivering oncology and nuclear medicine centres across six tertiary hospitals, alongside establishing 22 modern medical diagnostic centres, seven cardiac catheterisation laboratories, and expanded radiology and clinical pathology capabilities distributed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Also speaking, the chief executive of EHA Clinics, Dr Ifunanya Ilodibe, stressed the urgent need to support and unify fragmented growth within the healthcare system, noting that WHX serves as the precise ecosystem platform required to bring together policymakers, clinicians, and investors to move actionable strategies forward.
Also, the President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and Country Director of PharmAccess, Njide Ndili, said, “HFN bridges the gaps in health financing, opening up critical connections to achieve true health sovereignty,” praising Africa CDC’s historical intervention, particularly during the Ebola crisis and urged participants to utilise the WHX exhibition floor to forge collaborations capable of scaling locally produced medical equipment.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Mr Akin Abayomi, on his part, highlighted the enforcement of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act in Lagos State as a landmark regulatory milestone. The Act mandates health insurance for all residents, structuring the financial environment to guarantee medical protection across various socioeconomic levels.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Regional Representative of the Director General of the Africa CDC Western Regional Coordinating Centre, Prof. Aliko Ahmed, called on leaders in geopolitical positions to enact liberating trade policies aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to shape the continental agenda, emphasising that the Africa CDC will fiercely prioritise building trust in locally manufactured healthcare products.
WHX in Lagos 2026 runs for three days, featuring accredited forums, cutting-edge product showcases, and high-level networking tracks designed to translate billions in public and private investment into immediate technology access for hospitals and patients.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The coroner’s inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, suffered a major setback on Wednesday after Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital informed the coroner’s court that it had obtained an order of the Lagos State High Court staying further proceedings in the probe.
The matter came before Coroner Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji at Court 9, Igbosere Magisterial District, Yaba, Lagos, and was scheduled for the commencement of witness’ testimony.
Counsel to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Professor Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), told the court that the hospital had initiated judicial review proceedings challenging, among other issues, the jurisdiction of the Coroner’s Court to conduct the inquest in the absence of the deceased’s body.
He disclosed that the High Court had granted leave for the judicial review application and ordered that the leave operate as a stay of proceedings pending the determination of the suit.
The senior advocate also informed the court that although the Lagos State Attorney-General’s Office denied seeing the originating processes from the High Court, proof of service was available.
Responding on behalf of the family, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) confirmed receipt of both the originating processes and the High Court order.
While acknowledging the obligation of all parties to comply with court orders, he informed the coroner that the family had already filed four witness statements on oath, including that of Dr Ivara Esege, as well as statements from independent medical experts from Nigeria and the United States, who are expected to testify at the inquest.
Mr Pinheiro urged the court not to adjourn the matter indefinitely, but to a definite date after the court vacation to enable parties to report on developments in the High Court proceedings.
He also highlighted the need for transparency and public confidence in the fact-finding process, saying, “He who is innocent does not fear an open inquest.”
Counsel representing Atlantis Paediatric Hospital supported the request for a definite adjournment rather than an indefinite postponement.
Following submissions by counsel, the Coroner adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026, for a report on the status of the High Court proceedings.
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