Posted on: Fri 05-09-2025

National Health Financing Dialogue Calls for Urgent Action from States

At the close of the four-day National Health Financing Dialogue held in Abuja, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, issued a strong call to action: states and local governments must prioritize healthcare spending to ensure sustainable and equitable health outcomes across the country.

Key Messages from the Dialogue

• Healthcare financing is a shared responsibility, but the delivery of primary healthcare lies primarily with sub-national governments.
• Federal contributions—such as the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)—are designed to support, not replace, state-level commitments.
• States are urged to increase health budgets and ensure full releases, in line with the compact signed with the Federal Government that recognizes health as a budgetary priority.

Professor Pate emphasized the need for:

• Publication of health budgets, disbursements, and performance metrics
• Treating health as core infrastructure and a matter of national security
• Recognizing healthcare assets—facilities, workforce, systems—as economic assets

States that demonstrate transparent, results-driven investments in health will set the national standard, leading to:

• Safer deliveries for mothers
• Healthier children
• Protection for vulnerable populations from healthcare-induced poverty

Strategic Partnerships and Diaspora Engagement

The Minister called on:

• Development partners to align their support with Nigeria’s national priorities
• Private sector investors to help attract foreign direct investment (FDI) into the health sector
• Nigerians in the diaspora to support relatives through NHIA premiums rather than emergency remittances

Budget and Economic Planning Perspective

Senator Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, noted:

• Allocations to health and education have risen, reflecting increased revenues
• Despite reforms and growing confidence from partners, current funding levels remain inadequate for Nigeria’s population of over 220 million
• There is a need to attract more private capital at globally competitive rates

The event brought together:

• Government officials
• Development partners
• Civil society
• Private sector actors
• Academia
• Insurers
• Media professionals

The goal was to build a strong evidence base for sustained health financing and turn high-level commitments into actionable strategies.

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