Nigeria’s health system is performing below the African regional average, operating at just 45 per cent efficiency compared to 54 per cent across the continent, a new national profile has revealed.
The Country Health Systems and Services Profile (CHSSP) — developed after three years of research by the Africa Health Observatory Platform (AHOP) with support from the World Health Organisation and local partners — offers what experts describe as the clearest picture yet of Nigeria’s struggling health sector.
Professor Obinna Onwujekwe, who co-authored and edited the report, called it “a wake-up call.”
He said that most Nigerians still pay for healthcare out of pocket, accounting for 75 per cent of total health spending. “We are not working the way we are supposed to be working,” he said.
Representing the Minister of Health, Dr Kamil Shoretire said the findings would guide ongoing reforms under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. “The profile is more than a diagnostic tool — it is a compass that will guide our policy decisions,” he noted.
Officials hope the document will help move Nigeria closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
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