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Thought Leadership

Analytical and opinion-led pieces that examine the policy, governance, and political economy shifts shaping health in Nigeria, Africa, and globally. This category features evidence-informed arguments and critical reflections that interrogate assumptions, clarify trade-offs, and point to practical reforms. The goal is to strengthen advocacy and decision making by linking ideas to real system constraints and opportunities.

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By Christopher Bassey and Solomon Oladimeji | September 21, 2026

The Real Test of Nigeria’s Health Reforms Is Whether PHCs Actually Work

A newly renovated primary health care (PHC) centre can still fail a woman who arrives at 2 a.m. If there is no midwife on duty, no oxytocin, no reliable electricity, and no referral transport, the renovation is an infrastructure improvement, not yet a functioning health service. This distinction sat at the centre of a civil […]

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Blog Image 17 Sep

Nigeria Needs a Stronger Evidence System to Track Progress Towards Universal Health Coverage

By Yasir Bakare and Guest Author | September 17, 2026

Yasir Jamal Bakare and Toluwani Oluwatola (Lead writers) The National Health Insurance Authority(NHIA) announced in July 2026 that enrolment had reached 22.03 million people. For nearly two decades under the National Health Insurance Scheme, coverage remained below 5%of the population. Yet, as coverage grows, a different set of questions begins to emerge. Are insured Nigerians […]

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Blog Image 12 Sep

#Vote4HealthNaija: Turning Health Promises into Measurable Commitments Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections

By Yasir Bakare | September 12, 2026

Health continues to struggle to secure sufficient fiscal and political priority in Nigeria, and the gap between commitments, budget releases, and actual expenditure shows why. Nigeria’s 2026 federal budget allocated 3.7% to health, a figure far below the 15% budgetary target African leaders pledged under the 2001 Abuja Declaration. BudgIT’s 2025 State of States report […]

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Blog Image 10 Sep

Nigeria’s Health Tax Reform Faces a Closing Window Before the 2027 Elections

By Christopher Bassey | September 10, 2026

In April 2026, the Senate passed the National Health Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which would double the statutory allocation to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) from 1% to 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The Bill has since received its first reading in the House of Representatives. Another measure looks at how health-related […]

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Blog Image 5 Sep

Curated Conversations: Prof. Adaeze Oreh on Why the Future of Health Lies Beyond the Health Sector

By Emeka Oguanuo and Chinwendu Iroegbu | September 5, 2026

“The future of health is not in the health space alone,” says Professor Adaeze Oreh, family physician, public health strategist and immediate past Honourable Commissioner for Health, Rivers State, In a recent Nigeria Health Watch Curated Conversations interview, Prof. Oreh traced that conviction to her medical training at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), […]

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