Nigeria’s health sector reforms on track, next phase to deliver greater impact, Pate says
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, says Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms are yielding results, with the Federal Government set to intensify efforts to improve healthcare delivery across the country.
Pate said the next phase of the reforms would focus on consolidating existing gains, strengthening institutional accountability and improving maternal and child health outcomes, particularly through effective primary healthcare delivery.
The minister spoke on Thursday at the closing session of the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) of Nigeria’s health sector in Abuja.
He described Nigeria’s health sector reform journey as a gradual but systematic transformation, stressing the need for sustained investment, accountability and results-based financing.
Pate commended the Federal and State Governments, implementing agencies and development partners for their contributions to the successful implementation of the IMPACT project.
He traced the reform journey to 2004, identifying the National Health Act 2014, which established the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), as a major milestone in strengthening health sector governance and improving access to essential healthcare services.
According to him, Nigeria has moved from financing arrangements focused largely on infrastructure and equipment to a results-based approach that prioritises measurable improvements in health outcomes.
He identified the Nigeria State Health Investment Project, Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results and the IMPACT project as important stages in the transition.
The minister said the IMPACT project, approved in 2020 with $650m in financing, served as a bridge between traditional investment lending and a stronger national health financing and delivery system.
