Alarm is growing over Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system as industry experts issue a bold call for sweeping reform—starting with mandatory health insurance for every citizen.
At the center of the debate is the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which stakeholders say must take decisive action to ensure that preventive care becomes a cornerstone of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Speaking during a high-level webinar hosted by SYNLAB Nigeria, healthcare consultant Olumuyiwa Olusanya delivered a stark warning: Nigeria’s current system is dangerously skewed toward treating illness rather than preventing it.
He criticized the prevailing approach, noting that waiting until diseases become severe not only drives up costs but also increases the risk of complications and death. According to him, Nigeria is “financing the end of the story while ignoring the beginning”—a system that neglects early screenings, diagnostics, and preventive interventions.
Olusanya urged policymakers to act swiftly by integrating preventive healthcare services into standard insurance packages and making health insurance compulsory nationwide.
The concern was echoed by other experts at the session, who revealed a troubling reality: fewer than 10 percent of Nigerians currently have any form of health insurance. As a result, the vast majority still rely on out-of-pocket spending to access care—often at great financial and personal risk.
Also lending his voice, Adeniyi Adeniran of the World Health Organization painted an even bleaker picture. He described Nigeria’s healthcare financing system as deeply inadequate, citing major weaknesses in revenue generation, fund pooling, and the strategic purchasing of services.
With the stakes higher than ever, experts warn that without urgent reform, millions of Nigerians could remain trapped in a cycle of poor access, late treatment, and escalating healthcare costs.
