The Federal Government has secured more than $1 billion in concessional financing and grants to accelerate reforms aimed at transforming Nigeria’s healthcare system, according to the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the BusinessDay Health Conference in Abuja on Thursday, Dr. Salako said the funds sourced through partnerships with WHO, USAID, the World Bank, Gavi, and others are being deployed to strengthen governance, upgrade infrastructure, expand access, and stimulate private sector participation.
He noted that the ongoing reforms go beyond policies, describing them as “foundational shifts aimed at producing health, not just delivering healthcare.”
The conference, themed “Transforming Nigeria’s Healthcare Landscape: Government Reforms as Catalysts for Unlocking the Full Potential of the Healthcare Value Chain”, brought together stakeholders from the public, private, and development sectors.
“Through these strengthened partnerships, we have secured over $1 billion in concessional financing and grants to support the ongoing transformation of our health system.
“We are making progress, but we must do more. Government alone cannot heal Nigeria’s health system. We need the private sector, civil society, academia, and subnational governments to co-create solutions that are bold, inclusive, and scalable,” Dr. Salako said.
He added that, “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda led by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, health is viewed not as a cost centre but as a vital investment for national prosperity, productivity, and security.”
Salako described the initiative as not just policy, but an actionable transformation agenda focused on saving lives and improving patient outcomes.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare also unveiled priority areas driving the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Dr. Salako said the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Initiative (NHSRI) serves as the operational blueprint for reform, targeting governance improvements, quality standards, value chain transformation, and stronger health security.
The initiative is underpinned by digitization, performance-based accountability, and smarter spending.
On workforce development, he revealed that the government has increased medical school intake by 62% since 2023, employed 15,000 new health workers, and introduced policies to attract diaspora professionals, offer retention incentives, and establish a national health workforce registry.
Energy reliability is also in focus through the Energy for Health Initiative, which is deploying solar hybrid systems and clean energy solutions in federal tertiary hospitals and primary healthcare centres (PHCs), eliminating power outages in facilities such as the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi.
Dr. Salako further announced the launch of the ‘Power in the Health Sector’ Initiative, with a landmark dialogue set for September 9–10, 2025, to develop a national policy framework for sustainable energy access in health institutions.
To stimulate private sector participation, the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) is providing targeted incentives in pharmaceutical manufacturing, diagnostics, infrastructure, and health technology. So far, 87 local manufacturers have benefited, leading to a 12% reduction in production costs.
On Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Minister said funds from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund are being channelled to PHCs, prioritising vulnerable groups and advancing access through community-based insurance models and integrated financing.
On Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Minister said funds from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund are being channelled to PHCs, prioritising vulnerable groups and advancing access through community-based insurance models and integrated financing.
He also highlighted the National Digital Health Initiative (NDHI), which provides a roadmap for a secure, interoperable digital health ecosystem, while creating jobs and protecting patient data.