The Federal Government in its ongoing health sector reforms has unveiled significant achievements as the 66th National Council on Health (NCH) begins. This reform in Calabar, Cross River State comes with the commitment to strengthening Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through equity, resilience, and innovation.
The Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, representing the governor restated the importance of this year’s theme: “My Health, My Right: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage through Equity, Resilience, and Innovation”.
He reaffirmed Cross River State’s alignment with national priorities, highlighting strides made in the sector, including the revitalisation of more than 100 primary healthcare centres (PHCs), recruitment of 2,000 health workers across critical cadres, and the establishment of four Colleges of Nursing.
Odey also noted that Cross River has introduced a pioneering six-month maternity leave policy for women, commenced the construction of a world-class general hospital, and achieved 28 percent health insurance coverage. A performance well above the national average. “Our duty is to ensure healthcare is available to all Nigerians, rich or poor,” he stated, pledging the state’s full support in advancing the resolutions of NCH 66.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, in his keynote address highlighted key milestones recorded under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda, supported by expanded federal financing and deeper system wide reforms.
Prof. Pate disclosed that ₦68 billion has been approved, released, and transferred to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) for vaccine procurement, with delivery plan ongoing. He further announced the clearance of ₦500 billion in long-standing outstanding liabilities.
The minister noted that reforms are yielding measurable impact, including a 17 percent reduction in maternal mortality in MAMMI-implementing LGAs and a growing level of public confidence in the health system. He urged state governments to increase their health allocations by at least 1 percent in 2026 to sustain national momentum. “These achievements show that we are not merely planning reforms, we are implementing them, and Nigerians are already feeling the gains,” he said.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, reported remarkable progress in health insurance penetration, rising from 3 percent in 2019 to 17 percent in 2024. This increase translates to 37.4 million Nigerians now covered through federal, state, and Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) pathways.
Describing health insurance as the most powerful vehicle toward achieving UHC, Salako called for full implementation of mandatory health insurance laws, rapid scale-up of BHCPF enrolment to reach 15–20 million Nigerians, and the strengthening of PHC systems to guarantee at least one fully functional facility per ward. He also emphasized the need for innovative financing mechanisms.
The Federal Government also showcased Nigeria’s progress in primary healthcare revitalisation: 10,823 PHCs have been upgraded, service integration has risen to 72 percent and facility quality scores have improved from 42 perfect to 70 percent. Digital health reforms are advancing as well, with more than 7.2 million Nigerians now registered on the National Health Information Exchange and over 200 hospitals now operating with electronic medical records.
