5 days ago
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The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, Tuesday, hinted that President Bola Tinubu inherited a health sector that had faced persistent challenges, including stagnation in key health indicators.
The SGF stated this in Abuja at the 2025 Strategic Health Summit with the theme: ”One Vision, One Future: Uniting Stakeholders for a Healthier Nigeria”, organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Health.
While reeling out the achievements of the current administration in the health sector since assumption of office, Akume told newsmen that Tinubu’s swift interventions left no doubt about the sincerity of his commitment to transforming healthcare in Nigeria.
He noted that while recognising the need for expert-driven policy direction, the president he added leveraged the foundational work of the Health Transformation Coalition by approving the establishment of the Health Sub-committee within the Presidential Advisory Council, led by Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas, who now serves as Special Adviser on Health to him.
The sub-committee, Akume explained further, played a pivotal role in shaping the Renewed Hope Health Agenda, a strategic policy direction endorsed by the president to guide healthcare transformation in the country.
Akume reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accelerating progress in the coming months and years, ensuring that President Tinubu’s vision of a healthcare system ensures optimal and equitable health care to all Nigerians.
He said: “Mr. President’s dedication to prioritizing health predates his election and assumption of office. During the campaign period, the Health Transformation Coalition (HTC) of Nigeria, an initiative endorsed by Mr. President, was established to raise awareness about the crucial role of health in national development.
“Through extensive engagements with stakeholders, the coalition developed far-reaching recommendations aimed at unlocking the potential of Nigerians to ensure the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), where no one is left behind.
“These recommendations were echoed in Mr. President’s manifesto, underscoring his administration’s pledge to achieve UHC, in a gender responsive manner.
“Upon assumption of office, Mr. President inherited a health sector that had faced persistent challenges, including stagnation in key health indicators and, in some areas, even regression.’’
Speaking further, Akume explained that to translate policy aspirations into tangible outcomes, President Tinubu launched the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), diligently proposed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, on December 12, 2023, during the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day commemoration.
“This initiative is structured around four thematic areas: Effective governance, improvement in population health outcomes, unlocking the health sector value chain, and bolstering health sector security. An important outcome of the launch of the NHSRII is the signing of the Health Renewal Compact by Federal, State Governments, and Development Partners, underscoring Mr. President’s commitment to foster collaboration and empower the sub-national authorities as a veritable strategy to achieve UHC and deliver other development goods to grassroots,” he said.
Giving her speech, the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas, said the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration was approved by President Tinubu to curb the “japa” syndrome.
She noted the expansion of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, with an additional focus on providing financial risk protection for vulnerable populations, was President Tinubu’s direct demonstration of his concern for indigent persons, women, children, adolescents, the senior citizens (elderly persons) and people with disabilities.
Also speaking is the Vice president Global health advocacy incubator Vandana Shah urged Nigeria to take the lead against epidemic preparedness so that other African countries will follow
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