By Emmanuella Oghenetega
The Federal and state health leaders, alongside United Nations agencies, has called for stronger financing, accountability and collaboration to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
At the 2025 UHC Day celebration in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, stressed that health remains both a fundamental human right and a critical driver of national productivity, security and economic growth.
Prof. Pate noted that although global progress towards UHC remains challenging, Nigeria has embarked on bold systemic reforms under the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), launched in December 2023. According to him, the initiative has unified federal, state and development partner efforts under a “one plan, one budget, one conversation” framework, helping to reduce fragmentation and strengthen accountability.
Speaking on behalf of states, Chairman of the Commissioners of Health Forum, Dr. Oyebanjo Filani, said Nigeria’s struggle with UHC reflects a broader global reality, worsened by shifts in donor financing. He explained that while donor support accounts for only about 8 to 12 percent of health financing in Nigeria, it often funds critical interventions that governments historically underfunded, making the transition particularly sensitive.
“As a country, we have taken ownership of these challenges,” Dr. Filani said.
He commended the minister’s leadership in ensuring that funding gaps are minimised and external support aligns with national priorities. He added that state governments are fully aware of their responsibilities, not only to expand access to quality care but also to listen to citizens’ feedback and make course corrections where necessary.
Representing the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Oluwatosin Kolade described UHC as a fundamental human right that underpins health, dignity and empowerment. He said Nigeria’s journey towards UHC is both urgent and essential, particularly for women, children and vulnerable populations.
“As the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA remains committed to ending unmet family planning needs, preventable maternal deaths, gender-based violence and harmful practices,” Dr. Kolade said. He called for stronger collaboration to ensure that health services are available, accessible, acceptable and of high quality, while eliminating the burden of unaffordable health costs.
Also speaking, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that unaffordable health costs remain one of Africa’s most stubborn barriers to UHC. In a message from WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohammed Janabi, delivered by WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, the organisation said out-of-pocket payments continue to dominate health financing in many African countries.
The organisation disclosed that in 2022 alone, more than 423 million people in Africa faced financial hardship due to health spending, with hundreds of millions pushed deeper into poverty.
Despite these challenges, WHO noted encouraging gains in service coverage across maternal and child health, infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases between 2015 and 2022, showing what sustained political commitment can achieve. However, it stressed that progress remains uneven and that women, children, older persons and rural communities continue to bear the heaviest burden.
The stakeholders further urged sustained political will, increased domestic financing and continued public accountability to ensure that Nigeria stays on course toward achieving Universal Health Coverage and ending the cycle of sickness driven by unaffordable healthcare cost.
