The Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has said the healthcare system requires stronger private sector innovation to improve quality outcomes, affordability and access for citizens.

The federation stated this on Thursday in Lagos during a press briefing ahead of its 4th Annual Conference scheduled to hold on March 4 and 5, 2026.

Speaking at the briefing, the President of HFN, Mrs Njide Ndili, said, “Nigeria’s healthcare system cannot deliver quality care for all without the effective participation of the private sector.”

Ndili noted that private providers, manufacturers, distributors, insurers and innovators already deliver a significant share of healthcare services across the country.

She said the federation exists to ensure that private sector contributions are meaningfully integrated into policy, financing and health system reforms in support of Universal Health Coverage.

“We have been promoting and advocating for private sector inclusion in the healthcare delivery system and the Healthcare Federation, I must say, has been at the forefront,” she said.

Ndili added that over the years, HFN had secured private sector representation on key national health committees and supported reforms in healthcare financing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, customs processes and quality regulation.

She disclosed that the federation had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with government and had also been included in the UAC compact signed by the 36 state governors.

“We are now included in the UAC compact, which was signed by the 36 governors. So now the private sector has a role in that compact,” she said.

According to her, with the reduction in overseas assistance, the responsibility to sustain progress now rests more heavily on local stakeholders.

“We are now at the table. So, for us to keep pushing further, in terms of showcasing private sector innovation, showcasing what we have done, and also with the reduction of overseas assistance, I think the burden is now on the private sector to fill that gap,” she said.

Ndili said the 2026 conference, themed “Transforming Healthcare: Leveraging Private Sector Innovation to Achieve Quality Outcomes and Universal Health Coverage,” would align policy, financing and investment with real system needs.

She added that a major highlight of the conference would be the launch of the Nigeria Private Health Sector Outlook 2026, developed in partnership with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the Presidential Initiative on Unlocking Healthcare Value Chains.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of HFN, Mr Olufemi Akingbade, said the upcoming  conference is timely to better inporve the healthcare system in the country.

Akingbade added that the federation had continued to push for deeper collaboration between government and private healthcare providers, particularly in the areas of financing and system integration.

Chair of the Conference Planning Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Infinity Health, Irene Nwaukwa, described the conference as an engagement platform rather than a routine event.

“This conference really promises to be very impactful. Our goal is to make sure that every year, year on year, we’re able to deliver even more impactful engagement,” she said.

She noted that nearly 70 per cent of healthcare delivery in Nigeria is handled by the private sector and stressed the need for structured collaboration.

“Almost 70% of care today is either managed or facilitated by private healthcare,” she said.

Nwaukwa explained that participants would have the opportunity to directly question policymakers and demand timelines for implementation of policies discussed.

“What is happening is an actual real engagement where you have the opportunity to actually talk to your commissioner of health and say, okay, this is the fantastic thing that you have said in your panel, tell us, when do we expect to see results?” she said.

She added that fragmentation within the sector must be addressed to achieve meaningful outcomes.

“We’re too fragmented in Nigeria. Everybody’s trying to do small, small pockets here and there, when we need to come together and really achieve something,” she said.