The Federal Government has announced significant progress in Nigeria’s health sector reforms, reported a 17 percent reduction in maternal deaths and a 12 percent decline in newborn deaths across 172 high-burden local government areas ahead of the 2025 Joint Annual Review (JAR).
Speaking at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the upcoming review would evaluate national health performance, renew accountability commitments, and strengthen collaboration among federal, state, and local governments under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.
Prof. Pate disclosed that 37 out of 41 key performance indicators (KPIs) under the Presidential Health Reform commitments have already been met a milestone he described as “remarkable progress” achieved through stronger alignment between national and sub-national health actors.
“For the first time, we are seeing full alignment between the federal government’s direction and the states in terms of health priorities,” he said. “One hundred percent of states now have operational plans aligned with the national health sector blueprint.”
He noted that 774 National Health Fellows have been deployed across all local governments, while 35 states and the FCT have conducted performance reviews with citizen participation in health decision-making.
The Minister highlighted major improvements in maternal and reproductive health services, including higher antenatal care attendance, skilled birth deliveries, and increased family planning uptake.
He said utilization of primary healthcare facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) rose sharply from 10 million visits in early 2024 to 45 million in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting growing public trust in government health services.
“New family planning acceptors have increased by 10 percent since the beginning of the year, and 50 percent of women of reproductive age are now using modern contraceptives,” Pate said. “We have also revitalized over 435 health facilities in high-priority local governments and recruited more than 15,000 community-based health workers.”
According to a citizens’ confidence survey, 77 percent of Nigerians now view the health system positively, up from 54 percent in 2024, while confidence in the government’s capacity to manage health emergencies has grown from half to two-thirds of the population.
Despite the progress, the Minister cautioned that challenges persist particularly in healthcare financing and affordability.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “Affordability remains a concern. Expanding health insurance coverage and ensuring prudent resource use at all levels are critical to sustaining this progress.”
He stressed that early data from the last two years already show encouraging signs of improvement, adding that sustained collaboration among all tiers of government will further enhance population health outcomes.
Prof. Pate called on media practitioners to actively participate in covering the 2025 Joint Annual Review, themed “All Hands, One Mission: Bringing the Nigerian Health Sector to Light.”
The event will feature spotlight sessions on maternal mortality reduction (MAMI), health governance, local manufacturing of life sciences products, and expenditure reviews.
“The signs of progress are real and data-backed,” Pate emphasized. “If we sustain this momentum, Nigeria’s health outcomes will not only improve but will become a model for the continent.”
