…….Third Joint Annual Review highlights gains in primary healthcare, maternal and newborn survival, health insurance, local manufacturing and health security.
Abuja, 10 November 2026 – The Federal Government has achieved all 41 presidential commitments established for the health sector, recording significant progress in healthcare delivery, financing, infrastructure, local manufacturing and national health security under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, disclosed this while delivering his keynote address at the Third Nigeria Health Sector Joint Annual Review (JAR), held at the Transcorp Event Centre, Abuja, under the theme, “Together to Higher Grounds.”
He attributed the achievements to the commitment of the Tinubu administration through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint.
Professor Pate explained that the reforms, implemented through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), are strengthening governance, accountability and coordination across all levels of government.
He emphasised the commitment of federal and state governments, local governments and development partners to the unified framework of One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation and One Voice.
Highlighting healthcare financing, the Coordinating Minister disclosed that cumulative releases under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) had reached approximately ₦422.3 billion as of October 2026. He added that 3,526 primary healthcare centres had been revitalised, with work ongoing on another 900 facilities, while more than 8,000 BHCPF-supported facilities continued to benefit from the initiative.
On maternal and newborn health, Professor Pate revealed that 19,758 skilled birth attendants had been recruited across 22 states, while 4,747 community health workers had been engaged in 10 states and 78,054 frontline health workers trained. He noted that the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) had increased the proportion of participating BHCPF facilities with at least two midwives or community health extension workers from 12 per cent to 91 per cent. “Additionally, 750,000 pregnant women had been mapped to functional health facilities, while emergency transport services had conveyed 104,566 women and newborns.”
The Minister further reported significant improvements in essential health services, with skilled deliveries in BHCPF facilities increasing from 4.8 million in 2023 to 7.9 million by the end of the second quarter of 2026, while fourth antenatal care visits rose from 6 million to 8.7 million. Outpatient attendance also increased to 43 million, while more than 17 million adolescent girls had received the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and measles and rubella vaccination had reached 100 million children.
On financial protection, Professor Pate disclosed that health insurance coverage had increased from approximately 16 million to nearly 24 million Nigerians within three years.
He added that 5,106 patients had benefited from up to 80 per cent reduction in dialysis costs, while 710 cancer patients received an 80 per cent subsidy on selected cancer medicines. The free 48-hour emergency care programme had also benefited more than 15,000 Nigerians across 507 empanelled facilities.
The Coordinating Minister also highlighted progress in local pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing, disclosing that ten factories or manufacturing lines had been commissioned, six in 2026, covering pharmaceuticals, rapid diagnostic tests, insecticide-treated nets and medical oxygen.
“The Presidential Executive Order on healthcare manufacturing had also facilitated ₦24 billion in tax waivers for pharmaceutical manufacturers, alongside 12 technology-transfer agreements and a prospective investment pipeline exceeding US$5 billion.”
Addressing health security, the Coordinating Minister cited Nigeria’s successful management of the imported Ebola case as evidence of improved preparedness, surveillance and emergency response, commending the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), port health teams and development partners. He also disclosed that the 2026 review showed improvements in 12 of the 13 health indicators assessed, while acknowledging persistent challenges relating to stunting, healthcare affordability, quality of care and patient satisfaction.
Looking ahead, Professor Pate identified increased domestic health financing, equitable distribution of health workers, modernisation of federal tertiary hospitals, expanded health insurance coverage and accelerated digital transformation as key priorities.
He called on all stakeholders to sustain collaboration, address implementation gaps and strengthen accountability, stressing that the ultimate measure of the reforms must be improved health outcomes and a better quality of life for all Nigerians.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership and commended health workers and partners for their contributions to the ongoing transformation of Nigeria’s health sector.
In his special remarks, the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration had recorded substantial progress across the eight health priority areas of the Renewed Hope Agenda, with key performance indicators scoring between 60 and 92 per cent across governance, health security, local production, health financing, primary and secondary healthcare, health workforce, mental health, equity, quality and preventive care.
He noted that the 2026 JAR would review progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, food and drug regulation, emergency medical transport, free maternal and newborn services, the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), nutrition, non-communicable diseases, local manufacturing and health security.
The review, he said would also feature the launch of key policy documents and reports, including the Mini-Demographic and Health Survey (Mini-DHS), the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy 2026–2030, and the Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing Guidelines.
Looking ahead, Dr. Salako identified 2027 as a critical year for consolidating health sector reforms and preparing for the next phase of the national health transformation agenda.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that the review produces clear, actionable resolutions with assigned responsibilities and timelines for integration into the 2027 annual operational plans.
In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said the Joint Annual Review remains a critical accountability and performance assessment platform for evaluating progress, identifying implementation gaps and defining strategic priorities for accelerating the implementation of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal and Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
According to her, the Ministry has strengthened stakeholder participation in the Health Sector Renewal Compact through the inclusion of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), private-sector actors, traditional rulers and faith-based institutions, noting that Joint Annual Reviews have been conducted across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, reinforcing the principle of One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation.
She called on stakeholders to translate policy commitments and investments into measurable improvements in healthcare delivery, stressing the importance of institutional capacity, efficient resource utilisation, stronger monitoring mechanisms and mutual accountability at national and subnational levels.
The Permanent Secretary, reaffirmed the Federal Ministry’s commitment to building a resilient, equitable and responsive health system capable of delivering quality, accessible and affordable healthcare to all Nigerians, while calling for renewed collaboration towards achieving Universal Health Coverage and improved population health outcomes.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations
