Healthcare leaders, policymakers, and practitioners have issued a urgent call for locally driven solutions to overhaul Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system.
Stakeholders made the call during the Society for Quality in Healthcare in Nigeria (SQHN) 2025 Annual Conference and Professors Emmanuel Adeyemo & Oyinade Elebute Memorial Lecture, in Lagos.
Under the theme “Reimagining Healthcare Quality in Nigeria: Local Action, Global Insight, Lasting Impact,” the two-day event spotlighted persistent gaps in patient safety, access, and equity, challenges underscored by sobering national health indicators.
“Improving healthcare quality in Nigeria is both a professional duty and a moral responsibility. Every patient, in every corner of this country, deserves care that is safe, effective, and dignified. This conference is a call to action, to learn, collaborate, and redefine what quality healthcare can mean here,” said Mrs. Fola Laoye, SQHN board of trustees member, during the opening session.
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“As we gather for the second edition of the Elebute Memorial Lecture, we are reminded that improving healthcare quality in Nigeria is both a professional duty and a moral responsibility. Our mission at SQHN is to ensure that every patient, in every part of this country, experiences care that is safe, effective, and dignified. This conference is a call to action to learn, to collaborate, and to push the boundaries of what quality healthcare in Nigeria can be,” she said.
The conference comes at a critical moment for Nigerian healthcare. The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey reveals that only 46 percent of births occur with skilled attendance. Neonatal mortality stands at 41 deaths per 1,000 live births. With health insurance coverage reaching only 18.7 million Nigerians out of a population exceeding 220 million, significant gaps remain in achieving SDG 3.8, universal health coverage. As 2030 approaches, locally driven quality improvement initiatives are essential to transforming these indicators.
Dr. Don Berwick, the keynote speaker, emphasized the shared global responsibility for advancing healthcare quality. “In terms of universal improvement skills, Nigeria has this gem, SQHN, who are a great resource in this country, and IHI (Institute of Healthcare Improvement) is ready to help set a national goal on what the skill level for everybody in healthcare should be,” he states.
The event featured a distinguished gathering of special guests, including Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, director-general/CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA); Prof. Akin Abayomi, honourable commissioner of Health, Lagos state; Prof. Philip Abiodun, chairman, National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee; Mrs. Njide Ndili, president of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) amongst others.
Additionally, the lecture provided networking opportunities for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and academics, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing aimed at improving healthcare outcomes in Nigeria.
Now in its second decade of advancing healthcare quality improvement, SQHN continues to lead Nigeria’s healthcare quality movement by training, setting and upholding standards, accreditation, and patient safety initiatives that not only align with international benchmarks but also reflect the unique realities of the Nigerian health system.
With Nigeria’s health system facing challenges including infrastructure gaps, workforce constraints, and fragmented service delivery, the 2025 conference was held with the aim to catalyse concrete action. The event will drive progress through partnerships, shared learning, and evidence-based recommendations.
