Nigeria’s health sector is on a steady path of recovery, with measurable progress in maternal and newborn survival, vaccination coverage, and health service utilization, the Federal Government has said.
This came as it unveiled plans to raise ₦150 billion for vaccine procurement in 2025 and 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen routine immunization and epidemic preparedness, introduce sustainable financing measures such as health-focused taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, expand public-private partnerships, and deploy digital tools to enhance transparency and accountability.
In addition, through a World Bank-supported ward-level mapping initiative, the government aims to ensure that all 8,809 wards across Nigeria’s 774 local governments have coordinated health plans aligned with state and national development priorities, while it is also set to unveil the 2026–2050 National Development Plan currently being designed.
This emerged on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2025 Joint Annual Health Sector Review (JAR), themed ‘All Hands, All Mission’, where Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, highlighted the government’s commitment to better health outcomes through creative initiatives in the last two and a half years.
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Noting that the JAR underscores the shared responsibility of all stakeholders, government, private sector, development partners, and citizens, Pate said 84 percent of key health reform indicators are on track under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, with 35 States conducting annual reviews and citizens monitoring outcomes.
“All 36 States and the FCT now have operational plans aligned with national priorities,” he said, adding that 72 percent of states have mechanisms for managing non-communicable diseases.
Pate reported a 17 percent decline in maternal deaths and a 12 percent reduction in newborn deaths across 172 high-burden Local Governments, while over 15,000 new health workers have been recruited, 435 primary healthcare facilities revitalized, and access to skilled birth attendants increased by 33 percent.
Visits to primary health facilities funded through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund rose from 10 million in early 2024 to 45 million by mid-2025, he said, adding that routine immunisation coverage for measles, yellow fever, and HPV improved, while family planning uptake grew by 10 percent.
Citizen trust is rising, with 55 percent of Nigerians now expressing confidence in government health reforms, and patient satisfaction standing at 74 percent, he noted.
Pate acknowledged ongoing challenges in affordability and insurance coverage, currently at 12 percent, but said efforts are underway to expand coverage and enhance accountability.
“In the past year, over 20,000 frontline workers have been recruited in federal tertiary hospitals. The President has also approved over ₦50 billion to clear outstanding allowances and address workforce challenges that have persisted for years,” he said.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, Wale Edun, said the 2025 Federal health budget rose nearly 60 percent, with the BHCPF increasing from ₦131.5 billion in 2024 to almost ₦299 billion in 2026, and health’s share of the national budget rising to 5.2 percent from just over 3 percent.
“The turnaround in the economy has begun. Distortions are being removed, the economy is stabilizing, and social sectors like health are benefiting significantly,” he stressed, urging States and Local Governments to channel more of their increased revenues into health and education.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, described Nigeria’s low revenue-to-GDP ratio, below 8 percent since 2007 as a key growth constraint.
“The President has unfolded a vision for Nigeria to build an economy comparable in size and productivity to others around the world within the next five years. We are focusing on mobilising revenue and investing strategically to fund our development aspirations, including the 2026–2050 National Development Plan currently being designed,” he said.
Bagudu emphasised that mapping 8,809 wards nationwide ensures coordinated plans feeding into state and national priorities, while states and local councils must invest more in health, education, and agriculture to guarantee inclusive growth.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Adekunle Salako, said the Renewed Hope Agenda is transforming Nigeria’s health sector, with infrastructure, workforce, and system reforms underway.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not just a promise, it is a covenant to safeguard the health of our people,” he stated, disclosing over 500 new high-impact projects, 13 tertiary health institutions, six cancer centres of excellence, and 21 strategic policies driving health system reforms.
Primary Healthcare revitalisation and digital health initiatives are connecting thousands of facilities, improving access and accountability, Salako added, noting that NHSRII implementation could save ₦4.8 trillion annually from preventable diseases and retain ₦850 billion currently lost to medical tourism.
He urged State governments to increase counterpart funding for the BHCPF, expand insurance coverage, and strengthen primary healthcare delivery, while calling on development partners and private investors to align with national priorities.
The highlight of the three-day event was the expansion and endorsement of the Health Sector Renewal Compact by Local Governments, traditional rulers, private sector leaders, and civil society groups, first signed in 2023 by the Federal Government, States, and international development partners.
