At the start of 2024, healthcare re-emerged as a national priority in Nigeria following the appointment of Professor Muhammad Ali Pate as Coordinating Minister of Health in 2023. His leadership brought the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), designed to overhaul the system through four pillars: stronger leadership and accountability, improved infrastructure and service delivery, private sector investment and local manufacturing, and better preparedness for health emergencies. Implemented via a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), NHSRII aligns federal, state, and donor efforts—drawing inspiration from successful models in Ghana and Tanzania—to reduce inequalities, promote gender equity, and ensure reform sustainability.
Significant progress was made in 2023–2024. Under-five mortality dropped 16.7%, from 132 to 110 per 1,000 live births, reflecting gains in prenatal care, nutrition, and vaccination. Nigeria achieved the world’s highest HPV vaccination coverage—96%—with 12.3 million girls immunised nationwide, protecting against cervical cancer. A malaria vaccine pilot in Bayelsa and Kebbi vaccinated over 41,000 children, tackling a disease responsible for 23% of child mortality.
Health insurance coverage expanded as all states operationalised State Health Insurance Agencies, disbursing NGN 12 billion to cover 1.7 million people. The National Health Insurance Authority exceeded targets with 2 million new enrollees in 2024, bringing total coverage to 19.4 million Nigerians—an important step toward universal health coverage.
Investment surged, with 74 companies pursuing 22 major projects worth over $2 billion, mainly focused on local manufacturing. Human resource capacity improved as 53,732 health workers were retrained in maternal/child health, disease prevention, and emergency response.
However, challenges remain. Disease outbreaks such as Lassa fever, diphtheria, and regional mpox surges prompted WHO and Africa CDC emergency declarations, underscoring the need for better preparedness, surveillance, and research. The migration of health professionals—driven by poor conditions and pay—continues to weaken the system. The 2024 National Policy on Health Workforce Migration aims to retain and attract talent, including diaspora professionals.
Primary healthcare remains underdeveloped, limiting the impact of targeted initiatives like the Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative (MAMII). With the private sector delivering over 50% of care, a clearer strategy to integrate and support its role is critical.
Looking ahead, President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 Executive Order, under the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), seeks to boost affordability, expand local production of medical products, and make Nigeria a global hub for health technology manufacturing—dependent on sustained government–private sector collaboration to deliver improved health outcomes.
