For millions of Nigerians, access to affordable and quality healthcare remains elusive, as illness too often leads to financial catastrophe and even basic treatment is beyond reach. Despite decades of reform efforts, the country’s health system continues to struggle under chronic underinvestment, weak policy implementation, and failing infrastructure.
Public hospitals are overstretched, health workers—many of whom have not joined the “japa” wave of emigration—are poorly paid, and critical facilities are in steady decline. Health insurance schemes, intended to cushion vulnerable citizens, remain poorly executed and provide little real protection. With the population now exceeding 200 million, the need for urgent and coordinated reform has never been greater.
These concerns took centre stage at the recent BusinessDay Media Health Conference in Abuja, themed “Bridging the Gap: Advancing Equitable and Affordable Access to Healthcare in Nigeria.” Stakeholders, including government officials, investors, health experts, and development partners, issued a clear warning: without bold reforms in financing and policy enforcement, millions more Nigerians risk being excluded from lifesaving care.
Brian Deaver, Chief Executive Officer of the newly opened Afreximbank-backed Abuja Medical Centre for Excellence, set the tone with a stark assessment.
“The pursuit of redefining healthcare delivery could not be more timely or more urgent. If we want to lead, we must demand more of ourselves—not someday, but today,” he said.
Deaver stressed that reform must start with people, not infrastructure or technology. He described frontline health workers as the “beating heart” of the sector, yet said they remain overburdened, undertrained, and undervalued.
“Unsupported and underappreciated workers will not innovate and cannot deliver care,” he warned, urging government to prioritise workforce training, create supportive environments, and harness data-driven insights for better decision-making.
He further called for equity in healthcare delivery, noting that women, people with disabilities, and rural dwellers are often left behind. “We too often accept mediocrity under the guise of pragmatism. Healthcare should not be an exercise in lowered expectations,” Deaver said.
Concluding, he challenged policymakers and stakeholders to rise to the moment:
“Excellence is a choice, not a luxury. Let history say that this was the generation that turned the tide for Nigerian healthcare.”
