Mirian Gom 
Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Pate
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, warns that Nigeria’s health system remains weakened by decades of underinvestment, blurred governance roles, and chronic resource gaps.
Speaking during a fireside chat at the 2025 National Health Dialogue in Abuja on Thursday, he says the federal government is pushing for the highest health-sector budget allocation in the nation’s history.
“What has taken decades to atrophy will take time to fix,” he says. “But we are fixing it without distraction.”
Pate explains that Nigeria spent less than $8 per person on health for decades, leaving households to shoulder most medical costs. Even today, he notes, public spending remains about $15 per person, far below global benchmarks for a population exceeding 200 million.
He says the consequences of this prolonged neglect are visible in outdated equipment, weak infrastructure, and persistent staffing shortages across states. Despite modest improvements — including rising primary healthcare usage and stronger private-sector interest — progress remains “too small” relative to national need.
The minister also highlights blurred governance roles across federal, state, and local authorities. “Local governments should handle primary care, state secondary care, and the federal government tertiary services. But that is not the case today,” he says.
Pate emphasises that meaningful implementation of the National Health Act 2014 only gained momentum in the last two years. He expects the 2026 federal budget to move closer to a six per cent allocation, which he calls “the highest ever”.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Koko Maxwella 
Hussaini Ibrahim