Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya, has urged other countries to emulate the reforms being initiated by Nigeria in its health sector.

He said the initiative involving the introduction of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) and signing of the Compact with all stakeholders has led to the huge transformation of the heart sector in Nigeria.

He therefore challenged African leaders, particularly Ministers of Health, to take a lesson from the initiative to improve their healthcare financing and service delivery.

He also said that Nigeria’s health sector reforms, including digital payroll systems, SWAp, and expanded private sector involvement, demonstrate Nigeria’s capacity to reduce inefficiencies, improve domestic resource mobilisation, and provide better health coverage for its citizens.

In an address delivered at the second day of the 2025 Joint Annual Review of the Health Sector on the theme ‘All hands, one mission: Bringing Nigeria’s health sector to light’, in Abuja on Thursday, Kaseya quoted some statistics which had indicated that Nigeria is on the right path in terms of improved healthcare delivery.

He commended the efforts of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and his team, as well as the support of the federal government and international partners that helped to achieve the result within the period.

“Nigeria’s Sector-Wide Approach is evidence-based. It is cutting inefficiencies, fragmentation, and weak governance. I am impressed to hear what Aliko Dangote is doing for local production. We need more of Africa’s private sector investing in Africa, before calling others to come,” he said.

Speaking on the drive for more domestic funding for the health sector, the Africa CDC boss said that many countries in the continent unduly depend on foreign donor assistance.

Kaseya urged nations to reduce dependence on foreign aid, noting that over 20 African countries rely on Official Development Assistance (ODA) for more than 30 percent of healthcare spending, 

“Reducing out-of-pocket health spending requires universal health coverage through national insurance systems, not reliance on donor aid,” he said, urging African leaders to learn from Nigeria’s model.

He praised the contributions of the private sector, citing Aliko Dangote’s efforts in local healthcare production.

“We see that more than 20 countries in Africa would need more than 30 percent of ODA for their health care. And in some fragile countries, they need more than 60 percent. This one also we know.

“What also we know is the average of domestic resources, around 7.4 per cent. We were here in Abuja a few years ago, when we decided this target of 15 per cent. There is progress in some countries, and I see Nigeria is also moving, and this is good, but mostly in Southern Africa and in Northern Africa, the private sector is also contributing a lot. But in sub-Saharan, if we exclude the Southern Africa, it’s Nigeria moving,” he said.

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