Mirian Gom 
Africa CDC Director-General, Jean Kaseya announcing Nigeria’s selection as a G20 health financing pilot country in Abuja.
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria has been selected as one of the pilot countries for the G20’s new health financing integration plan, a move the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says reflects growing international confidence in the country’s health reforms.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya announced the development in Abuja on Thursday during day two of the 2025 Joint Annual Review of the Health Sector, themed “All hands, one mission: Bringing Nigeria’s health sector to light.”
“We are proud of Nigeria,” Kaseya said. “By next year, we will integrate everything and measure the progress being made. When I speak as a neutral actor, I want the world to know that Nigeria is making real progress.”
The G20 health financing framework aims to strengthen global preparedness by expanding funding for universal health coverage, primary health care, science, innovation, and pandemic readiness. According to the G20, equitable multilateral solutions are essential to tackling 21st-century health threats.
More than 4.5 billion people still lack essential health services, while two billion face catastrophic out-of-pocket medical costs. At the centre of the G20 plan is a push to build resilient national systems that can contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Kaseya praised Nigeria’s ongoing reforms — including the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), digital payroll systems, and a bigger private-sector role — describing them as evidence of political will and a shift towards efficiency and accountability. “Countries can save between 20 and 40 per cent of their budgets by improving planning and coordination,” he said.
He also highlighted the role of the private sector, commending industrialist Aliko Dangote for strengthening domestic manufacturing of essential health commodities.
“You cannot solve out-of-pocket payments through aid. You solve it through national insurance schemes,” he said.
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Korede Abdullah 
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