By Joy Onu, Abuja
The Federal Government on Wednesday renewed its call for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate reforms in Nigeria’s health sector, declaring that building a resilient system remains central to national development.
The appeal was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, at the APC Medical Council Health Roundtable Conference held at the State Banquet Hall in Abuja on February 25, 2026.
Addressing participants drawn from across the health sector, the minister stressed that the goal is to guarantee equitable access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians, regardless of income or geographical location. He said a functional system must ensure motivated and adequately remunerated health workers, well-equipped facilities with stable infrastructure, community participation, and evidence-based decision-making driven by reliable data.
Salako acknowledged that although measurable gains have been recorded, progress has not matched the scale of Nigeria’s healthcare demands. He pointed to persistent maternal and child mortality rates, the financial burden of medical expenses on families, and the continued migration of skilled professionals as pressing concerns requiring urgent and sustained intervention.
According to him, the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prioritised health sector reform over the past 30 months under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He noted that coordinated programmes are being implemented in collaboration with state and local governments, development partners, and civil society organisations to reposition the system for long-term sustainability.
He assured stakeholders that government would continue to demonstrate responsible leadership by strengthening governance structures and accountability mechanisms at federal and state levels. Multistakeholder coordination platforms such as the Joint Annual Review and the National Council on Health, he added, would be supported to ensure transparent and judicious utilisation of health resources.
Highlighting key milestones, the minister said the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund has expanded access to primary healthcare services for millions of Nigerians, while immunisation coverage has improved significantly nationwide. He further disclosed that several states are advancing health insurance initiatives to reduce out-of-pocket spending, even as development partners continue to invest substantially in Nigeria’s health security architecture.
Salako also outlined reforms under the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, including the adoption of a Sector-Wide Approach and strengthened implementation of programmes through agencies such as the National Health Insurance Authority and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. He cited progress in malaria elimination, tuberculosis control, immunisation campaigns, and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health services.
On workforce development, the minister revealed that over 37,000 health workers have been employed since 2023, with more than three-quarters serving in clinical roles. To address migration challenges, he said a national health workforce migration policy has been developed to improve retention and foster structured engagement with Nigerian professionals in the diaspora.
Additional measures, he explained, include the establishment of a Health Workforce Registry, expanded training quotas in health institutions, on-the-job training for over 70,000 personnel, deployment of Community Health Extension Workers, strengthening of the National Rapid Response Team for disease surveillance, and improved staffing across 130 laboratories nationwide.
He urged participants at the conference to see the moment as decisive in Nigeria’s pursuit of universal health coverage, emphasising that sustained investment, political will, technical expertise, and community ownership remain critical to achieving a truly resilient health system.
