NIGERIA TARGETS STRONGER DOMESTIC FUNDING TO ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE. (PHOTO).

 

Nigeria Targets Stronger Domestic Funding to Achieve Universal Health Coverage

The Nigerian government has announced plans to bolster domestic resource mobilization for healthcare as international grants and donor aid continue to decline, emphasizing the need for greater local ownership to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Speaking at the 9th Annual Health Conference of the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists (ANHeJ), Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, said sustainable financing must come primarily from within the country to ensure accountability and long-term progress.

Key measures highlighted include:

Strengthening the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF);

Expanding financial protection mechanisms under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act;

Introducing innovative revenue streams, such as the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) Tax.

Stakeholders at the conference stressed that state governments must take greater responsibility for health financing.

 They renewed calls for states to meet the Abuja Declaration commitment of allocating at least 15% of their annual budgets to the health sector.

With external funding becoming increasingly unpredictable, experts warn that without urgent and substantial increases in domestic investment, Nigeria risks falling further behind on its UHC goals.