Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire said that the private healthcare sector in Nigeria serves 50 % of the population. Speaking at the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria 2023 Annual Conference General Meeting, he emphasized the government’s commitment to working with the private sector to achieve its mandate. “The private healthcare sector in Nigeria, though largely based in urban centres, is robust and growing steadily, serving 50 % of the population. The government is committed to working with them to achieve its mandate,” he stated.
Ehanire noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has addressed the issue of ease of doing business in the healthcare sector. The government will support entrepreneurs by providing access to technology and finance, recognizing that local manufacturing is a solution to health challenges that threaten national health security. He added that Nigeria should become self‑sufficient in producing critical commodities, medicines, personal protective equipment and other supplies needed to care for the population. “The so‑called Covid‑19 vaccine nationalism taught us that we must not be wholly dependent on others for supplies but be, to a degree, self‑sufficient in producing critical commodities, medicines, PPEs, and supplies,” Ehanire said. He called for partnerships that create levers to drive public health security and universal health coverage.
Executive Governor of Sokoto State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reiterated the importance of partnership with the private sector. “I would once again like to emphasize the importance of the partnership with the private sector and assure you that the NGF will continue to provide the necessary enabling environment for the private sector to operate optimally and for our partnership to thrive,” he affirmed.
Addressing the conference theme, “Building the Healthcare of Our Future,” HFN President Dr. Pamela Ajayi shifted the focus from challenges to solutions. “We are having conversations around ‘Fiscal Framework for Promotion of Healthcare Sector Investment in Nigeria’ and ‘Healthcare Investment and Financing,’” she said, adding that discussions also covered the new National Health Insurance Authority Act.
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