Salako urges doctors to strengthen ethics in Nigeria’s health system
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, has urged Nigerian doctors and other health professionals to strengthen professional discipline, accountability and ethical conduct to restore public trust in the country’s health system.
Salako made the call on Wednesday while delivering the guest of honour address at the opening of the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association in Abuja.
The meeting, themed Transforming Healthcare Practice in Nigeria: Building Trust, Accountability and Collaborative Excellence, brought together medical practitioners to deliberate on challenges and reforms in the health sector.
The minister, who described himself as both a government official and a practising medical doctor, said the theme was timely as the Federal Government implements reforms aimed at improving healthcare delivery.
“Trust is not a speech; it is a record,” Salako said, stressing that public confidence in healthcare must be built through consistent professional conduct, measurable performance and accountability.
He said the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and its Compact with the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had recorded an 84 per cent implementation rate following the 2025 Joint Annual Review.
According to him, 35 states and the FCT have completed their Joint Annual Reviews and Performance Dialogues.
Salako also said the health sector’s share of the national budget had risen to 5.2 per cent, while funding for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund increased from N131.5 billion in 2024 to N299 billion in 2026.
He said the increased investment had enabled direct financing for more than 8,000 primary healthcare facilities, the upgrading of nearly 4,000 PHCs and increased utilisation of facilities supported by the fund.
