The African Union (AU) Commission has urged Nigeria and other African countries to honour the 2001 Abuja Declaration and the 2013 Abuja+12 Declaration, which committed Member States to allocating at least 15% of national budgets to health.
It stated that domestic health financing is not only a public good but also a catalyst for peace, security, and sustainable development, and it is the most reliable way to achieve Agenda 2063 — The Africa We Want.
The Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, Amb. Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah, who made the call at the ongoing National Health Financing Policy Dialogue with the theme, “Reimagining The Future of Health Financing in Nigeria,” organised by the National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA) in Abuja, stated that it is time for Africa to prioritise its own health security using its abundant resources.
Twum-Amoah observed that Nigeria’s leadership is crucial in achieving the goal, adding that the rest of Africa looks to Nigeria not to let Africa down.
He said, “This Dialogue’s framing of health financing as a sovereign, economic, and investment agenda is timely and necessary. It echoes the sentiment: ‘May this convening rekindle political will across the continent and inspire those lagging to honour this profound commitment.”
“If Nigeria gets it right, Africa will get it right. Amid today’s financing constraints, Nigeria has charted a bold path, approving $1.7 billion for the HOPE Projects to strengthen governance, expand primary healthcare, and improve nationwide service delivery. This decision reflects vision and courage”.
Twum-Amoah recalled that the Africa Health Strategy (2016–2030), recognises that sustainable and predictable health financing is essential for building viable systems and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He noted that a robust health system, backed by a strong African Medicines Agency and effective regulatory frameworks, will be the continent’s foundation against future pandemics, floods and droughts.
According to him, 2025 offers Africa a unique opportunity to influence and to advance health equity and Universal Health Coverage worldwide.
Twum-Amoah argued that this is a moment to emphasise global collaboration under African leadership to reframe health financing as an African-led agenda, rooted in domestic commitment but supported by global efforts.
He emphasised the importance of ensuring that discussions at the dialogue are future-focused, rooted in strong domestic commitment, with no reliance on aid or external saviours, to build a healthy, resilient Africa where no one is left behind.
Today, Nigeria becomes the first West African country to host such a dialogue — a milestone that occurs amid shifting global financing, climate pressures, and increasing humanitarian crises. These overlapping challenges threaten millions of lives and serve as a wake-up call after COVID-19, urging Africa to recalibrate and invest in resilient, long-term systems.
Also speaking, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof Mohammed Yakub Janabi, emphasises that sustainable financing is the backbone of resilient systems by increasing public health spending to at least 20% of total health expenditure, reducing out-of-pocket payments to protect households, strengthening pooling and prepayment mechanisms, and using evidence such as cost-effectiveness and equity analyses to guide fair decision-making.
He observed that healthier populations are more productive, more resilient to shocks, and better able to drive inclusive growth.
Janabi noted that, with over 223 million citizens, Nigeria’s approach to financing health is vital for the well-being of its people and the continent’s future.
He said, “Nigeria’s progress is encouraging. The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the National Health Insurance Authority Act, and the expansion of state-level insurance schemes are all steps in the right direction. The establishment of equity and investment units, along with the engagement of parliamentarians through the Legislative Network for UHC, serve as an inspiration for other countries.”
Janabi emphasised the need to ensure that the dialogue becomes a turning point, where commitments are translated into sustained action to build an inclusive, equitable, and responsive financing system.
Speaking on behalf of the Global Fund, Maria Kirova highlighted that the Dialogue on Health Financing occurs at a crucial moment, when not only is international health funding decreasing, but also when the sustainability of such investments in health security and systems is essential.
She observed that through its partnership model, the Global Fund has fostered sustainability in three key ways: by establishing co-financing incentives as a major requirement for grant financing, by providing catalytic funding that leverages greater domestic investments for more effective supply and demand-side interventions towards UHC, and by working closely with civil society, government, and communities to design programmes and implement innovative approaches for the national HIV, TB, and malaria responses.
Kirova stated that the National Dialogue on Health Financing is a vital step towards transforming the future of health financing in Nigeria and praised the Government for the bold actions recently taken to strengthen health financing and progress towards universal health coverage.
She noted that Nigeria has demonstrated strong leadership and made remarkable progress in addressing the challenges of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. She added that in recent years, investments in national disease responses have strengthened the health system and pandemic preparedness.
Kirova, however, stated that the challenges remain considerable, from ensuring equitable access to care to protect the most vulnerable, to mobilising sufficient human, material, and financial resources to sustain these responses, especially at this critical point of external funding dynamics.
She mentioned that as one of the largest donors for the national HIV, TB, and malaria responses and health system strengthening in Nigeria, the Global Fund has been progressively working with the CCM, the FMOH, national agencies, and implementing organisations to promote integration, reduce vertical programmes, and unlock the catalytic potential of the grant resources through its support to the SWAp and various initiatives towards Universal Health Coverage.
