NIGERIA ADOPTS 12-POINT ACTION PLAN TO STRENGTHEN HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
Nigeria has agreed on a 12-point healthcare reform agenda to improve access to medical services, address shortages of health workers in rural communities and increase domestic funding for the health sector ahead of 2027.
Abuja, Nigeria — ABUJA, NIGERIA – Nigeria is stepping up efforts to improve its healthcare system through a new 12-point action plan developed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with key stakeholders.
The agreement is designed to improve healthcare delivery, strengthen medical services in rural areas and mobilise more local resources to finance the health sector as the country approaches the 2027 conclusion of its Health Sector Strategic Blueprint.
The decisions were announced in a communiqué presented by the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, at the end of the three-day 2026 Health Sector Joint Annual Review held in Abuja.
The meeting brought together government representatives and other health sector partners to assess progress, identify existing challenges and establish priorities for the coming years.
Discussions were guided by the principles of one plan, one budget, one report and one conversation, with participants examining findings from the 2026 Joint Annual Review Statistical Book, analyses of the Mini Demographic and Health Survey, and the People's Voices Survey.
The review also recognised progress made by the government over the past year in several areas of healthcare delivery.
Among the achievements highlighted were a decline in maternal deaths recorded in health facilities, improvements in the operation of thousands of Primary Health Care centres, wider access to emergency medical transport services across the country and increased funding through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
The new action plan is expected to build on these gains while addressing persistent gaps in healthcare access, particularly the shortage of qualified medical personnel in rural communities and the need for sustainable domestic financing.
The initiative forms part of Nigeria's broader efforts to strengthen its health system and ensure that more citizens, regardless of their location or financial situation, can access essential medical services.
