The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has said that while a significant amount is allocated to Nigeria’s health sector every year, it is still not enough compared to what other countries invest.
He made this statement at a public hearing on four bills held by the House Committee on Healthcare Services. These bills include changes to the National Residency Training Act, the National Insurance Authority Act, the National Tobacco Control Act, and a proposal to create the Institute of Healthcare Service Administrators of Nigeria.
Abbas, who was represented by Hon. Obordor Mitema, stressed that more funding is needed to improve life expectancy and reduce infant mortality rates in the country. He added that this is why President Bola Tinubu has made healthcare one of the main goals of his Renewed Hope Agenda, aiming to revitalize the healthcare system and encourage private sector support.
Despite Nigeria having the highest GDP in Africa, Abbas pointed out that progress in healthcare has been slow and disappointing. He said more needs to be done to improve the health sector to match global standards.
Hon. Bassey Akiba, acting chairman of the committee, acknowledged the many challenges in the healthcare sector, such as high costs, financial difficulties for healthcare providers, medical errors, and a lack of insurance coverage.
In the hearing, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) recommended that the bill to amend the National Residency Training Act be postponed for further input from stakeholders.
