WHO Urges Nigeria to Commit 20% of Budget to Public Health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Nigeria to increase its health budget allocation to at least 20 per cent of total expenditure.

WHO Regional Director, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja at the National Health Financing Dialogue themed “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria.”

Janabi described sustainable healthcare financing as the backbone of resilient health systems, stressing that higher investment would cut out-of-pocket expenses, protect households, and strengthen prepayment and pooling mechanisms. He added that evidence-based decision-making, guided by cost-effectiveness and equity analyses, should drive resource allocation.

While commending Nigeria’s recent reforms — including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the National Health Insurance Authority Act, and state-level insurance expansion — Janabi noted that financing healthcare for over 223 million citizens was critical for both national well-being and Africa’s future.

He said healthier populations were more productive, resilient to shocks, and better positioned to drive inclusive growth. He also pointed to Nigeria’s equity and investment units, and parliamentary engagement through the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage, as models for other African countries.

Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, stressed that Africa must prioritise health security with its own resources. She cited the African Medicines Agency and stronger regulatory frameworks as vital for handling pandemics, floods, and droughts.

She commended Nigeria’s approval of $1.7 billion for HOPE Projects to boost governance, expand primary healthcare, and strengthen nationwide service delivery, calling it a bold and visionary step. She reminded participants of the 2001 Abuja Declaration and the 2013 Abuja+12 Declaration, where African leaders committed to dedicating at least 15 per cent of national budgets to health.

Also speaking, Ms. Daju Kachollom, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, revealed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the issuance of a service-wide circular mandating all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to implement health insurance in line with the National Health Insurance Authority Act, 2022.

She assured stakeholders that the ministry would lead the effort, emphasising that mandatory health insurance is now a permanent policy.

The four-day dialogue, which ended Thursday, brought together policymakers, experts, development partners, civil society, academia, insurers, and the media to build evidence and data-driven strategies for sustainable health financing.