Anatomy of the Tinubu gains in health sector

By : Fredrick Nwabufo

Date: 5 December 2025 4:07am WAT

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Mothers have their babies vaccinated at the Primary Healthcare Centre,

Mothers have their babies vaccinated at the Primary Healthcare Centre,

This year has been an eventful one for the Tinubu administration. From reforms correcting long-standing distortions across multiple sectors and establishing durable understructures for sustained national development, to policies expanding enterprise and creative opportunities for citizens, the gains of the passing year have been well-forged and hold strong prospects for broader impact in the coming year.

In the health sector, for instance, the achievements recorded in 2025 have been far-reaching and sector-wide. Landmark programmes and initiatives were introduced; primary and secondary healthcare systems saw significant improvements; strategic agreements to promote local pharmaceutical manufacturing were signed; thousands of health workers were trained and others newly recruited; health infrastructure received major upgrades, including new top-tier cancer centres across the geo-political zones; hospitals were rehabilitated; and several turnaround policies were implemented.

So far, under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda, N68 billion for vaccine procurement has been approved, released, and transferred to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). In addition, outstanding liabilities of N500 billion have been settled, creating greater fiscal space for health spending.

The nation witnessed a 17 percent reduction in maternal mortality in MAMII local government areas, while public sentiment regarding the health sector is shifting from pessimism to optimism. Over 60,000 health workers trained nationwide, improving confidence and quality of care.

Health insurance coverage expanded from 3 percent to over 11 per cent during the year under review, representing more than 21.1 million Nigerians enrolled across Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) channels. BHCPF allocation was N131 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach N298 billion in 2026, enabling states and local governments to achieve more in primary healthcare delivery. From these funds, a total of 8,309 BHCPF primary health centres have benefitted across all states of the federation, with planned expansion to 13,521 BHCPF primary health centres by the first quarter of 2026.

Worthy of note, the federal government’s health budget has risen by 60 percent over the past two years, reaffirming that health remains a top priority for the Tinubu administration. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, spending on medical tourism has dropped by 52 percent since 2023 as a result of President Bola Tinubu’s health reforms.

In the past one year, 2,125 primary healthcare facilities have been revamped, with service integration rising to 72 per cent. Primary healthcare facility quality scores have also improved from 42 per cent to 70 per cent.

More than 7.2 million Nigerians are now registered on the National Health Information Exchange, and over 200 hospitals operate with electronic medical records.

In March, President Tinubu launched the National Health Fellows Programme to provide opportunities for young Nigerians and improve service delivery at primary healthcare centres. The first cohort of fellows, drawn from all 774 local government areas (LGAs), served as fiduciary agents monitoring primary healthcare development and performance. A second cohort of public health fellows from all 774 LGAs will be inaugurated after a screening process scheduled to conclude by February 2026.

The first batch of fellows was deployed alongside Performance and Financial Management Officers (PFMOs) across the 774 LGAs at the primary health level, improving accountability for BHCPF funds at that cellular level.

In July, the Federal Government inaugurated three state-of-the-art oncology centres in Katsina, Enugu, and Edo. I participated in the inspection of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital oncology centre in Nsukka during the federal government’s south-east engagement tour in August. The centres are equipped with advanced diagnostic and radiotherapy technology.

Service delivery and consumer confidence have improved remarkably in the past two years. Hospitals recorded 10 million visits nationwide in the second quarter of 2024, rising sharply to 45 million visits in the second quarter of 2025.

More importantly, Nigerians are increasingly utilising life-saving vaccines. Twenty-five million measles vaccine doses and 22 million yellow fever vaccine doses were administered, alongside the successful rollout of Africa’s first Mpox vaccine. Five million children have been immunised with the pentavalent vaccine, and 10 million additional children have received the Tetanus-Diphtheria vaccine as part of the nationwide diphtheria response.

Since 2023, Nigeria has also administered the HPV vaccine to 14 million girls aged 9–14, protecting them from cervical cancer, which afflicts 12,000 Nigerian women annually.

The federal government has taken critical steps to resolve legacy challenges in health-sector labour relations. The new hazard allowance for all health workers is being processed, while more than N10 billion owed under the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund has been paid in recent months.

Furthermore, the Federal Government is institutionalising the salary relativity adjustments demanded by health unions for CONHESS-aligned workers and CONMESS-aligned doctors.

The recent suspension of the strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) attests to the government’s commitment to improving staff welfare and working conditions. According to the association, two of their demands have already been met.

“The Professional Allowance Table has been released, and a directive has been given to the Head of Service that the entry level for doctors should be CONMESS 3. So, the strike has been suspended immediately,” the Secretary-General of NARD said.

The National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) has continued to consolidate its role as Nigeria’s central framework for pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency care.

Key milestones in 2025 include the expansion of EMS-onboarded states from eight to 31; strengthened audit and verification mechanisms, including the establishment of an NEMTC Claims Review Sub-Committee; nationwide collaboration with State Social Health Insurance Agencies for primary-level claims verification; and the onboarding of federal tertiary health facilities as Referral Emergency Treatment Centres, providing access for states not yet fully operational.

In line with the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, NEMSAS is supporting MAMII to reduce preventable maternal and neonatal deaths across 172 priority LGAs. Through community-based emergency transport systems, NEMSAS is addressing the “second delay” in accessing Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC). Functional community emergency transport systems have been established in 166 of the 172 MAMII LGAs, significantly improving timely access to lifesaving care in rural and underserved communities.

So far, NEMSAS has supported 31,870 pregnant women. In addition, 12,049 children under five (including newborns) have received emergency care, and 14,832 victims of road traffic accidents have received free ambulance transport and hospital treatment.

Nigeria’s health security has also strengthened with the enhanced capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Some of the milestones achieved so far include, expansion of the molecular laboratory network, enhancement of diagnostic capacity and reduction of turnaround time for disease detection across states.

Others are transition to digital surveillance systems, enabling efficient data collection, analysis, and real-time reporting of public health events; broadening of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) network; improvement of coordination and response to outbreaks at national and subnational levels; and strengthening of strategic stockpile capacity, ensuring timely availability of essential medical and laboratory supplies during health emergencies.

Recently, Nigeria and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing and industrial cooperation. The MoU, signed by the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), EMS Brazil, and Oaks Medical Limited, was supervised by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

The partnership follows earlier discussions between President Tinubu and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the Nigerian President’s visit to Brazil, where both leaders agreed to expand cooperation in pharmaceutical development, vaccine production, and related industrial areas. This MoU is one of over 20 that PVAC has recently signed with world-class companies to implement impactful projects.

Under PVAC, $1 billion in investment-guarantor financing has been secured from AFREXIMBANK, while the European Investment Bank’s Human Development Accelerator (HDX) is also providing a €1 billion pool for investments in the health sector.

With PVAC as the driving force, 84 new healthcare companies are in active discussions with international financiers for support in implementing various manufacturing and related investment projects.

Nigeria’s global health investment efforts have secured more than $250 million in new investment commitments from the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, with PVAC working to translate these commitments into actual investments.

Under President Tinubu and Professor Pate, Nigeria has taken a leading role in global public-health initiatives. The country provided the highest contribution of all African nations to the Global Fund for HIV, Malaria, and Tuberculosis at the recent G20 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nigeria also contributed $54 million to the StopTB Partnership’s global mission.

Nigeria is no longer merely the continent’s largest beneficiary but has become its foremost committed donor nation.

In the coming years, as President Tinubu’s reforms deepen and more initiatives take shape, Nigeria’s pursuit of widespread improved health outcomes and self-reliance in local drug manufacturing is expected to evolve from ambition to a quotidian reality.

Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement.

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