Despite years of reform efforts, Nigeria’s life expectancy remains among the lowest in the world — a stark reminder that poverty, weak healthcare infrastructure, and poor insurance coverage continue to undermine progress in Africa’s largest economy.
According to United Nations data for 2024, Nigeria’s average life expectancy stands at 54.6 years, far below the global average of 73.7 years and Africa’s 64.2 years. By comparison, Tunisia (76.5 years) and Algeria (76.2 years) lead the continent, while Monaco tops the global chart at 86.5 years.
The gap underscores a deepening health crisis in Nigeria, where malnutrition, poor emergency response systems, and limited access to quality care continue to fuel premature deaths — particularly among children and young adults.
“Poverty, insecurity, environmental pollution, poor emergency healthcare infrastructure, and low universal health coverage deeply affect Nigeria’s life expectancy,” said Adeniji Adeoluwa, Chief Medical Director at Mecure Cancer Center.
Adeoluwa noted that low insurance coverage forces millions of Nigerians to rely on local or informal treatments. “High out-of-pocket payments make it difficult for poor citizens to access proper medical care,” he said. “Even in emergencies, response is slow due to poor road infrastructure and a lack of ambulance systems.”
Systemic Failures and the Burden of Self-Medication
Experts say the problem runs deeper than infrastructure. Paul Abba, Director of Medical Laboratory Services at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, pointed to food insecurity, self-medication, and misuse of antibiotics as major contributors to Nigeria’s low life expectancy.
“Many Nigerians lack access to quality healthcare and resort to self-medication, leading to preventable deaths,” Abba told BusinessDay.
“We also need to tackle food insecurity and national security challenges that worsen the health situation.”
Abba called for stronger pharmaceutical regulation, including a ban on over-the-counter antibiotic sales, and stressed that compulsory health insurance must become a national priority.
“Health insurance is not optional — it’s essential if Nigeria wants to improve life expectancy,” he said.
Universal Health Coverage Still Out of Reach
Universal Health Coverage (UHC), as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), ensures that everyone can access quality health services without financial hardship. However, Nigeria remains far behind its peers on that front.
“Nigeria lags significantly in universal health coverage, and that affects quality of life,” said Nkata Chuku, founding partner at Health Systems Consult Limited.
Studies show that factors like education, income, healthcare access, and infrastructure strongly influence life expectancy. A recent study by Nurudeen Lawal and colleagues found that while inflation had no direct link to life expectancy, exchange rate instability correlated strongly with shorter lifespans.
Reform Efforts and Missed Opportunities
The current administration has made notable strides in health sector reforms — particularly through the revitalisation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs). The government plans to establish at least one functional PHC in every ward nationwide, and over 120,000 frontline health workers have been trained to improve grassroots healthcare delivery.
Other initiatives include removing import taxes on healthcare raw materials to support local manufacturing and infrastructure investments by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
Still, experts argue that Nigeria’s health investment — just 5.1 percent of the national budget — remains far below the 15 percent recommended under the Abuja Declaration and inadequate for a country of over 200 million people.
Lessons from Tunisia and Algeria
Nigeria’s North African peers provide striking examples of what consistent investment and strong policy can achieve. Algeria raised its life expectancy from 40.8 years in 1960 to 76.3 years in 2023, while Tunisia improved from 44 years to 76.5 in the same period.
These gains, experts say, stem from robust investments in health infrastructure, mass immunisation campaigns, and improvements in education. Algeria’s infant mortality rate, for instance, fell from 147 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1965 to just 24 in 2024, according to UNICEF. In contrast, Nigeria still records 60 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
Tunisia has also doubled its health spending to roughly 7 percent of its national budget, while Algeria has eliminated polio, neonatal tetanus, and malaria through sustained vaccination and public health interventions. Nigeria, however, continues to carry 27 percent of the global malaria burden, with more than 200,000 malaria-related deaths in 2021 alone.
The Way Forward
Health experts insist that Nigeria’s crisis is not irreversible — but it demands strong political will, sustained investment, and inclusive health policies that go beyond surface-level reforms.
“If we must improve our life expectancy, we must start with the right policies,” said Adeoluwa. “Reforms should focus on reducing poverty, improving healthcare access, curbing pollution, and fostering public-private partnerships.”
He added that a robust national insurance scheme remains the backbone of any long-term solution.
“Quality healthcare should not depend on a person’s income but on access to an inclusive insurance system,” he said. “That is how nations improve survival and extend lives.”
