Nigeria’s Health and Social Welfare Ministry is set to host a High-level National Policy Dialogue.
Relevant stakeholders including top government officials, policy makers, development partners, civil society groups in the private and public sectors, are expected to converge on the 1st, through 4th of September, 2025, to deliberate on innovative and sustainable approaches to healthcare financing that will guarantee equitable access to quality health services for Nigerians.
According to a press statement issued by the Ministry on Wednesday, the dialogue aims to “build on Nigeria’s leadership within Africa in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC)”.
The statement recalled that at the African Leadership Meeting (ALM), in its 32nd Ordinary Assembly of Heads of States and Government of the African Union, held in February, 2019, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, member states including Nigeria, made a landmark pledge to increase domestic financing for health.
The resulting ALM Declaration reaffirmed continental commitment to stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant health systems.
Riding on the above declaration, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized that country’s next chapter in healthcare reform will be anchored on ongoing investments and national strategic reforms.
“At the heart of our next phase of transformation is a simple but urgent mission: to save lives, to reduce both physical and financial suffering, and to deliver health for all Nigerians, without leaving anyone behind”,the Minister was quoted in the press statement.
“Through the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the Sector-Wide Approach, and our Strategic Plan; we are aligning government, partners, and resources behind a shared vision of equity, accountability, and sustainability”, he added.
To this end, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), highlighted that the NHIA is commited to scaling health insurance coverage and deepening financial protection.
The Policy Dialogue, according to the Dr. Ohiri aims to review findings from the State of Health Financing Report, build consensus on nationally supported, politically feasible strategies to expand and sustain domestic health financing among others.
The policy dialogue is themeed “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria”.