2025 largely disappointing year for Nigeria’s health sector — NMA

Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, Dr Saheed Babajide Kehinde, has described 2025 as a largely disappointing year for Nigeria’s health sector, particularly at the federal level, citing poor leadership, inadequate funding and a lack of focus on healthcare delivery.

In a review of the Federal Government’s health sector activities in 2025, Dr Kehinde said there was little to no meaningful progress in addressing longstanding challenges, blaming what he described as poor performance by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare and insufficient prioritisation of healthcare by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

According to him, one of the most critical failures of the year was the Federal Government’s inability to tackle the worsening “Japa syndrome” — the mass migration of healthcare workers in search of better opportunities abroad.

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“There was a complete lack of interest in addressing the exodus of doctors and other health professionals,” Kehinde said.

“This was compounded by poor remuneration, weak welfare packages, and inadequate training and retraining opportunities for healthcare workers.”

He also criticised the Federal Government’s handling of repeated strike actions by health sector unions and professional associations, noting that poor conflict management often resulted in prolonged industrial actions that denied citizens access to essential healthcare services.

Kehinde further accused the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of placing excessive emphasis on data collection, research and engagement with international partners, while neglecting what he described as the core healthcare delivery system.

Nigeria’s health indices, he said, remained worryingly low in 2025, with poor progress on universal health coverage (UHC), limited health insurance penetration and rising healthcare costs making services inaccessible and unaffordable for many citizens.

Other challenges highlighted include weak attention to primary healthcare, low budgetary allocation and financing for health, and unreliable power supply to health institutions across the country.

He, however, acknowledged modest improvements in hospital infrastructure, particularly in building construction, as one of the few positive developments recorded during the year.

Looking ahead to 2026, the NMA Lagos chairman outlined a wide-ranging reform agenda, beginning with improved wages and better living conditions for healthcare workers.

He called for comprehensive measures to curb the Japa syndrome, including enhanced remuneration, affordable housing and car loans, better welfare packages, structured career progression, overseas training opportunities and the provision of adequate equipment and working tools.

Kehinde also advocated non-taxable call duty allowances, an end to assaults on healthcare workers, and policies that promote a safer, more conducive working environment.

On service delivery, he urged the Federal Government to improve universal health coverage and expand health insurance schemes, while reducing the cost of healthcare through lower tariffs on medical equipment, consumables and drugs.

He further called for the implementation of the proposed extension of the retirement age for healthcare workers, renewed focus on primary healthcare, and stronger collaboration between government and private hospitals to reduce mortality and improve access to affordable care.

Among other recommendations, Kehinde urged the Federal Government to improve power supply to health institutions and increase budgetary allocation to the health sector from about six per cent to the 15 per cent target stipulated in the Abuja Declaration, stressing the need for transparency and efficiency in the use of funds.

He also called on the Minister of Health to adopt a more inclusive and respectful approach to resolving industrial disputes, particularly with medical associations such as the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), noting that strikes have severe consequences for patients.

The NMA chairman further proposed the establishment of specialist hospitals, including infectious disease centres, across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, alongside improved security for healthcare workers to reduce burnout, mental stress and workplace violence.