From Allafrica · · 1m 30s
Nigeria Must Invest in Health for Economic Growth
Nigeria's health spending falls short of economic needs, but strategic investment could boost GDP and reduce poverty.
In brief
Nigeria's health spending falls short of economic needs, but strategic investment could boost GDP and reduce poverty. Nigeria needs to increase health spending to 15% of its budget to improve economic growth and reduce catastrophic health spending. Originally reported by Allafrica.
Health Spending Gap
Nigeria's 2026 Appropriation Bill allocated ₦2.48 trillion for health out of ₦58.47 trillion budget, about 4.2%.
Health as Economic Infrastructure
Health should be treated as economic infrastructure like roads and power to support Nigeria's growth ambitions.
Egypt's Health Investment
Egypt's $240 million early-detection programme reached 60 million people and projected $7 billion savings by 2030.
Nigeria's Household Impact
71.9% of Nigerian households pay out of pocket for health, with 45.5% facing catastrophic spending.
Malaria's Economic Cost
Malaria reduces Nigeria's GDP by over $1.1 billion annually and accounts for 27% of global cases.
Local Production Goals
Nigeria aims to increase local production of essential health products to 70% by 2030 through the Presidential Initiative.
Health Worker Shortages
Nigeria has 95,456 registered doctors but only 60,551 with active practising licenses.
Funding Release Gap
In 2025, only ₦36 million of ₦218 billion federal health capital projects was released.
Policy Recommendations
Health infrastructure must be included in quarterly cash plans, and NHIA should automatically enrol conditional cash transfer beneficiaries.
Value Chain Investment
Nigeria needs to use funds strategically to build local industries and ensure affordable, quality care.
The essence
Nigeria needs to increase health spending to 15% of its budget to improve economic growth and reduce catastrophic health spending.
