Less than 30% of Nigerians are satisfied with public healthcare services, according to the 2025 State Performance Index (SPI), highlighting that healthcare has become one of the weakest links in governance across the country.
A national assessment by Phillips Consulting (PCL), released on Thursday in Abuja and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), evaluated the performance of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in public health delivery.
Phillips Consulting Limited (PCL) is a Nigerian business and management consulting firm that offers digital consultancy, technology assurance, and data analytics services to drive innovation and enhance organizational agility.
The firm assessed each region using a combination of objective data (70%) and citizen perception (30%) across key governance indicators.
The report revealed that, while some states are making progress in healthcare delivery, most citizens remain dissatisfied with the quality, accessibility, and affordability of services.
The report highlighted healthcare as a recurring concern, with respondents consistently ranking it lower than other public services.
Findings showed that fewer than 30% of Nigerians expressed satisfaction with healthcare in public hospitals, pointing to persistent gaps in infrastructure, personnel, and affordability.
While states such as Nasarawa scored among the highest for hospital access, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ranked 37th in health infrastructure, reflecting widespread public frustration over poor facilities and inadequate investment in the sector.
Similarly, Benue, despite being rated highly for hospital affordability, recorded only 20% citizen satisfaction with the quality of care, indicating that affordability has not translated into better health outcomes.
In Kogi, healthcare indicators were among the lowest nationwide, with just 16% of respondents satisfied with hospital affordability.
The report noted sharp disparities in healthcare delivery between high-performing and low-performing states.
States that invested in recruiting health professionals, upgrading hospitals, and improving affordability achieved higher rankings.
In contrast, states grappling with security crises, poor infrastructure, and low capital expenditure fell behind.
The North-Central zone showed mixed results: while Nasarawa excelled in health access, neighbouring states such as Benue and Kogi struggled with weak hospital infrastructure and underfunded health systems.
Public perception surveys revealed that healthcare consistently ranked among the top three areas of dissatisfaction, alongside roads and access to clean water.
Respondents highlighted recurring challenges, including shortages of drugs and health workers, high out-of-pocket payments, and dilapidated facilities.
Respondents highlighted recurring challenges, including shortages of drugs and health workers, high out-of-pocket payments, and dilapidated facilities.
“Healthcare remains a pressing concern for Nigerians. Even where hospitals exist, citizens are not convinced that they are receiving quality service.
“The pSPI findings are clear: citizens want affordable, reliable, and accessible healthcare. States that ignore this risk falling further behind in both perception and performance,” the report said.
Analysts said that the findings underline the urgent need for state governments to prioritise health as a governance benchmark.
They added that poor health outcomes not only weaken public trust but also slow economic growth, increase poverty, and widen inequality across the federation.
The pSPI recommended increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, recruitment of qualified health workers, and equitable distribution of services between urban and rural communities.
It also urged greater transparency in state health spending, stronger partnerships with development actors, and targeted interventions to address local health challenges.