National Health Dialogue Targets Financing Barriers, PHC Reforms

The Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) has announced that the 2025 edition of the National Health Dialogue will focus on Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare (PHC) system and its performance across states.

Executive Director of CJID, Akintunde Babatunde, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, noting that this year’s event will examine how evidence-based policymaking, innovation, and sustainable financing can strengthen the country’s health architecture.

According to him, the dialogue will pay particular attention to primary healthcare delivery, accountability in the health sector, and practical strategies for improving service outcomes at the subnational level.

Organised in partnership with Premium Times, the dialogue will hold on Thursday in Abuja, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other national and international partners.

Babatunde said the forum aims to provide a neutral platform where policymakers, researchers, journalists, civil society organisations, and development partners can interrogate data, identify systemic gaps, and propose reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s health outcomes.

He stressed that the engagements would not end in Abuja but become part of a broader effort to support vulnerable regions where health services have continued to decline.

“Following this conversation, we will take these engagements to regions where there is clear evidence of declining health services. This will enable us to work with stakeholders on practical steps to improve outcomes across the country,” he said.

Sessions at the dialogue will assess the performance of primary healthcare centres, review the role of state actors in budget implementation, and explore the challenge of mobilising sustainable financing in an era of dwindling donor support.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, is expected to headline the event in a fireside conversation that will examine Nigeria’s reform priorities, the future of PHC delivery, and required policy shifts to improve national health indicators. Several state commissioners of health will also participate in thematic discussions on financing plans and performance gaps.

Babatunde added that the forum will showcase health innovations, including technology-driven solutions for maternal health, digital care, and monitoring tools used to track service delivery.

Managing Editor of Premium Times, Idris Akinbajo, emphasised the newspaper’s sustained focus on health accountability, saying the media must continue to drive reforms that expand access to quality healthcare.

“Over the years, Premium Times has led powerful investigations to ensure Nigeria’s health system is strengthened. This dialogue is our way of bringing those stories from the pages of the newspaper to stakeholders, so we can jointly chart a new path toward sustainable health financing,” he said.