The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised the Nigerian government to significantly scale up its investment in the health sector, urging that at least 20 per cent of the country’s total health expenditure should be directed toward public health financing to improve access to quality care and strengthen health systems across the federation.
This call was made during a recent stakeholder engagement on health financing reform held in Abuja, where WHO officials, government representatives, and development partners gathered to assess Nigeria’s health financing landscape and discuss strategic reforms aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the event, the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, noted with concern that Nigeria’s public health spending remains critically low compared to global benchmarks and the minimum recommended threshold for low- and middle-income countries. He stressed that current public investment levels are inadequate to meet the health needs of over 200 million Nigerians, especially in rural and underserved communities.
According to Dr Mulombo, WHO recommends that countries allocate a minimum of 20 per cent of their total health expenditure to public health spending in order to ensure sustainable financing for essential services, including disease prevention, primary healthcare, and health workforce development. He added that Nigeria’s current health financing model heavily relies on out-of-pocket payments by households, a situation he described as not only inequitable but also a major barrier to accessing healthcare, particularly for the poor and vulnerable.
“Public funding for health in Nigeria must be increased to improve service delivery, reduce catastrophic health spending by families, and move the country closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage,” Dr Mulombo said.
Recent data from WHO and the World Bank show that Nigeria spends less than 5 per cent of its GDP on health, with government expenditure accounting for a small fraction of that amount. This falls far short of the 15 per cent benchmark set in the 2001 Abuja Declaration, which Nigeria and other African Union member states committed to.
Health experts at the meeting emphasised that without adequate public financing, the health sector will continue to struggle with dilapidated infrastructure, shortage of medical personnel, inadequate supplies, and poor access to primary healthcare services. They also highlighted the need for increased transparency and accountability in the allocation and utilisation of health budgets to ensure that available resources are effectively used.
Dr Mulombo commended some of the recent efforts by federal and state governments to improve healthcare delivery, including initiatives like the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), but insisted that much more needs to be done in terms of actual funding levels.
The WHO pledged to continue supporting Nigeria’s health sector reform agenda through technical assistance, capacity building, and policy guidance, while also urging lawmakers and policymakers to prioritise health in budgetary decisions, as no country can achieve sustainable development without a healthy population.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with both communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health challenges, and a fragile primary healthcare system, increasing public health spending is seen as a critical step towards building a resilient and inclusive healthcare system that leaves no one behind.