Abuja: Stakeholders have called on the National Assembly and state governments to accelerate legislative and policy reforms to strengthen sustainable domestic health financing and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on donor support. The call was made in Abuja during the National Convergence on Sustainable Health Financing, organised by the Senate Committee on Health in collaboration with the Caywood Brown Foundation and other partners.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the stakeholders urged the speedy passage of pending health financing bills, increased investment in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), expansion of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) levy, and domestication of health financing reforms across the states. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, highlighted the critical moment Nigeria is facing, emphasizing that political will, legislative backing, and stakeholder collaboration could transform the country’s health sector. Pate stressed the need for del
iberate investment by governments at all levels to achieve sustainable healthcare.
‘Health is not cheap. If you want quality healthcare, society must choose to pay for it. When we spent less than 20 dollars per capita for decades, it reflected the choices we made as a nation. We cannot expect world-class healthcare with token investments,’ Pate stated. He added that the government was pursuing reforms to maximise available resources while improving efficiency and accountability, urging lawmakers to pass the proposed health financing reforms and calling on state legislatures to domesticate similar laws.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, noted that the proposed reforms would establish a more predictable and domestically funded health financing architecture. Harry-Banigo, sponsor of Senate Bills 713 and 886, emphasized the need for Nigeria to progressively rely on domestic resources to finance healthcare, with development assistance complementing national investments. She p
ointed out the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, highlighting the need for greater investment in prevention.
Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, Rep. Amos Magaji, stated that universal health coverage could not be financed through temporary measures. ‘We need sustainable resources, strong institutions and accountability. The Basic Health Care Provision Fund must become a reliable instrument for strengthening primary healthcare and protecting our poorest and most vulnerable citizens,’ he said. Magaji assured that legislators would continue to provide the legal framework and oversight needed to ensure healthcare services reached Nigerians.
Dr Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), called for a shift from service-based healthcare financing to prevention-focused investments. Similarly, the Director-General of the NHIA, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, emphasized the importance of legislative support in achi
eving sustainable financing for universal health coverage. Ohiri mentioned that the convergence built on the momentum generated by the National Health Financing Dialogue 2025 and reflected growing collaboration between the health and finance sectors.
Ms Ibim Banigo, Executive Director of the Caywood Brown Foundation, urged the House of Representatives to quickly concur with the Senate on the pending bills. She noted the urgency of concluding the legislative process and securing presidential assent, especially with the 10th National Assembly nearing the end of its legislative tenure. Banigo highlighted the convergence’s aim to mobilise political commitment, technical institutions, and development partners to strengthen investments in the BHCPF and SSB levy reforms.
Prof. Emmanuel Alhassan, Country Lead for Health Systems Strengthening at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, urged the House to expedite concurrence on the bills and the National Assembly to transmit them promptly for presidential assent. He re
marked that proceeds from the SSB tax would provide sustainable funding for tackling non-communicable diseases. Mr Ademuyiwa Damilola, Director of Programmes at the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), stressed the necessity of domestic health financing due to declining donor funding and economic constraints. Damilola urged the House of Representatives to complement the Senate’s action by passing the bills without delay to enable their implementation.