Nigeria Emerging as Medical Industrialisation Hub, Pate Says as CSOs Demand Sustained Health Reforms

By Augustine Aminu

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has said Nigeria is emerging as a medical industrialisation hub in sub-Saharan Africa, driven by increased local production of medical supplies and pharmaceutical products.

Pate spoke in Abuja at the opening of the CSO/Media-Led Mid-Year Review of Nigeria’s Health Sector Reforms and Policy Dialogue, where civil society organisations called on the Federal Government to institutionalise ongoing reforms to ensure their sustainability.

The minister said investments in local manufacturing of medical kits and pharmaceutical products were beginning to strengthen the health sector, reduce pressure on foreign exchange and contribute to economic growth.

He also highlighted increased medical school admissions, expansion of primary healthcare centres, improved ambulance services and greater enrolment in health insurance as some of the gains recorded under the government’s health reform agenda.

According to him, improved access to primary healthcare services, particularly for women and children, has contributed to better maternal and child health outcomes.

Pate said the Federal Government had also increased investment in the sector through higher budgetary provisions, while acknowledging the support of the National Assembly’s health committees.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for supporting the reforms and said sustaining the administration’s health policies would allow the country to consolidate the progress already recorded.

The minister, however, acknowledged that significant gaps remained, particularly in hospital equipment, workforce development, service delivery and access to affordable healthcare.

He urged civil society organisations and the media to continue holding the government accountable by acknowledging progress while drawing attention to areas requiring improvement.

Pate said collaboration with state and local governments, development partners and donor organisations was also being strengthened to improve coordination and ensure that available resources were directed towards agreed health priorities.

Earlier, Chair and Co-Convener of the Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Forum, Chief Mrs Moji Makanjuola, said the dialogue provided an important platform for non-state actors to assess the implementation of Nigeria’s health policies and reforms.

She said the initiative represented a shift towards greater citizen participation, evidence-based decision-making and accountability in the health sector.

According to Makanjuola, the dialogue offers stakeholders an opportunity to assess Nigeria’s health transformation journey, institutionalise successful interventions, learn from shortcomings and make necessary adjustments.

She stressed that the media had a critical role beyond reporting government activities, describing journalists as an important bridge between policymakers and citizens.

“The media serves as an important bridge between policy and the people, translating complex health policies and reforms into information that citizens can understand and act upon,” she said.

Also speaking during a panel session, the Director-General of the National Blood Service Agency, Dr Saleh Yuguda, urged Nigerians to embrace voluntary blood donation to strengthen blood banks and save lives during emergencies.

Yuguda said voluntary blood donation was a patriotic responsibility and assured Nigerians that donating blood under appropriate medical supervision was safe.

Presenting the CSO/Media statement, Chairman of the Health Sector Reform Coalition Nigeria, Dr Mohammed Lecky, said sustainable health reforms required collective responsibility involving government, civil society, development partners, communities, the media and other stakeholders.

Lecky said civil society organisations were committed to constructive, evidence-based and people-centred accountability.

He described Nigeria’s current health reform programme as one of the country’s most significant efforts in recent decades to address longstanding fragmentation in the sector.

According to him, the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) have provided a stronger framework for coordinating the Federal Government, states, local governments, development partners and communities around common priorities.

He said the principles of “one plan, one budget, one report and one conversation” provided a foundation for better coordination and accountability.

The coalition commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for progress in primary healthcare, health financing, immunisation, maternal and newborn health, health insurance, medical industrialisation, emergency response and governance.

However, the CSOs called for reforms to be institutionalised through legislation, policies, budgets and guidelines to protect them from future political and administrative changes.

They also recommended making functional primary healthcare the benchmark for measuring progress rather than focusing only on the number of renovated facilities.

The coalition called for predictable and timely release of appropriated health funds, greater transparency in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other financing mechanisms, and closer alignment of policies with the National Health Act.

Other recommendations included prioritising rural, hard-to-reach, conflict-affected, displaced and low-income populations; improving the welfare, deployment and training of health workers; strengthening Ward Development Committees and community participation; and making health-sector data more accessible to the public.

The CSOs further called for stronger mechanisms through which citizens can report poor service delivery and receive timely responses, as well as broader partnerships with communities, the private sector, professional bodies and traditional and religious institutions.

“We believe government, civil society, development partners, communities, the media and other stakeholders share responsibility for building a health system that delivers for all Nigerians,” Lecky said.

A highlight of the event was the presentation of a Health Champion Award to Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, in recognition of her support for Nigeria’s health sector.