The Federal Government has launched major national health strategies to strengthen planning, resource allocation, service delivery performance measurement, and across the country.
The launch was announced in a communiqué issued on Friday, and signed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, following the 2025 Health Sector–Wide Joint Annual Review, Nigeria’s annual accountability forum that evaluates the performance of the health sector and guides planning, budgeting, and coordination across federal, state, and local levels.
The communiqué stated that the launch of national products and strategies forms an integrated ecosystem that helps improve planning, resource allocation, performance measurement, and service delivery.
The products and strategies include “the data Plans, Tools & Reports (Health Sector Strategic Blueprint, National Health Facility Registry, National Health Management Information System Assessment, Multi-Source Data Analytics and Triangulation, Larval Source Management) to strengthen data quality, visibility and coordination; the National Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Facility Readiness Assessment Report, providing Nigeria’s most comprehensive evaluation of emergency obstetric and newborn capacity; the Climate and Health National Adaptation Plan, advancing resilience against climate-driven health risks.
“The Second National Action Plan for Health Security, strengthening outbreak preparedness and response; the Nigeria Collaborative Action Strategy, integrating campaigns under ‘One Plan. One Campaign. One Frontline,’ and the Mini-DHS Framework, enabling annual, high-fidelity outcome measurement to track progress toward National Health Sector Renewal and Investment Initiative goals.”
The three-day meeting, chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, alongside the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, convened nearly 1,000 participants representing federal and state governments, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the media.
According to the communiqué, this represented a two-fold increase from the 450 participants in 2024.
It noted that the 2025 review was held after state-level JARs for the first time, describing the development as evidence of “Nigeria’s deepening commitment to the NHSRII Compact and to the Sector-wide approach principles of One Plan, One Budget, One Report, and One Conversation.”
It highlighted the official signing of the UHC Compact Addendum, expanding the Compact to private sector actors, LGAs, traditional institutions, and other ministries; integrating emerging health sector priorities; responding to global health financing shifts; and strengthening accountability through clearer “Ask-and-Offer” frameworks.
It also said five NHSRII Spotlight Sessions showcased progress and opportunities across the 13 priority areas, including early gains in maternal and neonatal mortality reduction under the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives; improvements in PHC functionality, emergency referral systems and social health insurance uptake; advancements in local manufacturing, regulation and pooled procurement; strengthened health security via surveillance, laboratories and emergency operations; and governance and financing transitions in preparation for evolving donor landscapes.
It added that key digital tools were showcased, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund digital platform, the national e-learning system enabling free training for frontline health workers, and PHC revitalisation dashboards providing real-time facility readiness and service delivery visibility; the SAVE MAMA from Rural Emergency Service and Maternal Transportation; and the National Health Insurance Act digital platform for claims.
The review hosted a flagship exhibition and learning showcase with over 45 abstracts and exhibits and convened an interactive People’s Pulse Town Hall to elevate citizens’ perspectives and strengthen transparent feedback between Nigerians and health leaders.
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The communiqué also highlighted a first-of-its-kind open dialogue on corruption and fiduciary risk using the BHCPF as a case study, producing clear actions to strengthen transparency and accountability.
After reviewing performance and sector challenges, participants agreed on resolutions for 2026, including measures to improve transparency, data quality, health financing, PHC functionality, and maternal and reproductive health outcomes.
Among these resolutions is a commitment to operationalise the UHC Compact Addendum by the first quarter of 2026 and to adopt biometric verification across all primary health centres and health insurance platforms to eliminate ghost workers, strengthen attendance management, and enhance HRH transparency and performance.
On immunisation and commodities, the communiqué stated, “Nigeria committed to the full release of its counterpart for vaccines procurement and meeting its obligations in the revised accountability framework.”
The council also resolved to expand health insurance coverage, with a target of enrolling five million Nigerians, including one million more vulnerable citizens, by the end of 2026.
It further detailed actions to enhance local manufacturing by transitioning at least 20 priority commodities to local production, with five new manufacturing plants operational by 2026, and strengthening state and LGA systems to improve readiness, accountability, and emergency response.
It concluded with commitments to institute data-guided monitoring and fund allocation and to optimise state-level investments, particularly to unlock the Nigeria Primary Health Care Provision Strengthening Programme (HOPE-PHC) incentives and strengthen frontline service delivery.
