By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The federal government has partnered with United Nations agencies and health leaders at the state levels in a renewed commitment to ending unaffordable healthcare costs and promoting universal health coverage (UHC) that expands access to quality healthcare services for all
Nigerians.
This is as the health leaders and the United Nations agencies, called for stronger financing, accountability and collaboration to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
This commitment was made during the 2025 UHC Day celebration in Abuja.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the Tinubu administration is determined to ensure that no Nigerian is forced to choose between seeking healthcare and meeting basic household needs.
Prof. Pate stressed that health remains both a fundamental human right and a critical driver of national productivity, security, and economic growth.
He observed that although there is global progress towards UHC, it remains a challenge in Nigeria.
“Nigeria has embarked on bold systemic reforms under the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), launched in December 2023”, he stated.
According to the health minister, the UHC 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.
Filani 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, commending the coordinating minister’s leadership in ensuring that funding gaps are minimized 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 noted that 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.
He commended the leadership of the Coordinating Minister and reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment, alongside other UN agencies, to supporting Nigeria’s drive towards a healthier and more equitable future.
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 organization said out-of-pocket payments continue to dominate health financing in many African countries.
The organization disclosed that in 2022 alone, well over 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, he stressed that progress remains uneven and that women, children, older individuals and rural communities continue to bear the heaviest burden.
The stakeholders further called for 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 costs.
Daybreak reports that the 2025 World Universal Health Coverage Day was marked with the theme
“ “Unaffordable Health Costs: We Are Sick of It”.
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