ABUJA, Nigeria – The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has stressed that Nigeria cannot rely on foreign aid to fund its healthcare system, urging stronger domestic investment.
Speaking at the National Health Financing Dialogue in Abuja on Monday, Pate said: “We cannot pretend to ride a Rolls Royce on the budget of a bicycle.” He outlined reforms including better governance, unlocking the health value chain, and advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, lamented that Nigeria spends only $30 per person on public health, while citizens bear over two-thirds of total costs.
Although the federal health budget rose from ₦434bn in 2018 to ₦2.48tn in 2025, it still represents just 5.18% of national spending, far below the 15% Abuja Declaration target.
“This is about reducing out-of-pocket spending, which is at a staggering 70%,” Salako said, adding that the government plans to enrol 44 million Nigerians into the national insurance scheme by 2030.
