The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, has urged Nigeria to prioritize context-driven and evidence-based approaches in the nation’s health financing strategies.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue themed “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria,” which was organized by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and its partners, Pate underscored the importance of directing scarce resources to areas that will most effectively improve citizens’ well-being.
The minister observed that Nigeria’s current public spending on health is among the lowest in Africa—about $30 per capita annually across federal and state levels. This, according to him, leaves policymakers with difficult investment choices.
“In our case, if we had just one or two dollars more per capita, where should we put it? Should it be commodities? Expanding primary health care? Or leveraging agriculture, education, and water systems to improve outcomes? These are the tough questions we face, and evidence must guide those choices,” he emphasized.
okay.ng reports that Pate further announced the establishment of a National Commission on Investing in Health, in collaboration with NHIA, to translate global health research into actionable local solutions.
He pointed out that while Nigeria has recorded progress, sharp disparities between states remain a concern. “The averages hide huge intra-country differences. We must learn from performing states, understand their successes, and apply them where gaps remain,” he noted.
The minister also called for stronger involvement of states and local governments in financing healthcare, stressing that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund was designed as a joint responsibility. “But that hasn’t happened. The federal government is left holding the bucket. Can we have states and local governments complement the federal government, not by sending money to Abuja, but by spending directly in their states?” he asked.
