Nigeria’s health sector can achieve greater coverage with resources, says Osinbajo

• Receives Dangote, delegation from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has declared that Nigeria’s public health system is still robust and, when well resourced, can achieve greater coverage despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 

Osinbajo spoke, yesterday, when he received on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, a delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, led by its President, Dr Christopher Elias, accompanied by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Foundation.
 
The Vice President said: “Clearly, we need to do a lot more. Perhaps, what needs to happen is increasing personnel in our public healthcare system, ramping up the numbers, so that we can achieve greater coverage and do a lot more.”

“I am confident that our public health system is robust enough to deal with any situations, so long as it is well resourced at the relevant times. We saw that with the response to COVID-19. So, it is really just ensuring that the system is well resourced and it works, and we will be able to deliver on those targets.”

Osinbajo appreciated both the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Dangote Foundation for their support to the country’s healthcare.

In his remarks, Elias commended the efforts of the Buhari administration in the area of human capital development, despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and urged improved collaboration among stakeholders to address issues related to nutrition and immunisation, among other public health challenges.