Fixing Nigeria’s Healthcare Pipes: A Call to Action for Reform

Nigeria’s health financing debate often focuses on what we lack. However, the resources are
already moving through our system; they just aren’t being utilized effectively. Households
bear a significant burden through high out-of-pocket spending, governments budget too little
and release funds too slowly, and private capital sees the need and opportunities but not
bankability. The current system is inefficient and unsustainable. We spend roughly $120 per
capita on health, with about 70% paid directly by households1. This model predictably delays
care and deepens poverty. Catastrophic health expenditures hit roughly one in five
households, while the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) service index hovers at 44/100.2…Click to read more