Chukwu Obinna 
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate
Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, says universal healthcare is not only a social good but a core economic strategy critical to national growth.
Speaking on Universal Health Coverage Day on Friday, Pate addresses the global theme, “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!”, acknowledging that medical bills still push many Nigerians into poverty.
“It is a national economic strategy,” Pate tells journalists. “Health is key to human capital — to children learning, teachers teaching, the military defending the country, and trade and investment thriving.”
He points to increased health spending over the past three years and outlines reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, described as “one plan, one budget, one conversation.”
Progress includes stronger state-level governance, direct facility financing, and a fourfold rise in primary healthcare utilisation.
Pate also highlights industrial progress, confirming preparations for West Africa’s largest dual-ingredient mosquito-net factory in Edo State, with production expected by 2026.
While public confidence in health emergency management improves, affordability remains a challenge. “We are not declaring victory,” Pate says, “but we are changing the trajectory.”
Pavel Ursu, WHO’s representative in Nigeria, commends advances in service delivery and financial protection, urging greater investment in prepaid domestic funding to reduce out-of-pocket costs.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 