Stakeholders Push For Multi-sectoral Funding To Combat NCDs

Stakeholders have called on the federal government to adopt innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms to strengthen the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.

The call was made at a two-day capacity-building workshop for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on public financing for NCDs and implementation of the NCD Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (MSAP), held on Thursday in Mararaba, Nassarawa. The event was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW) in partnership with Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).

Dr. Alayo Sopekan, National Coordinator of the NCD Division, FMoHSW, said while the government is making efforts to fund NCDs, support remains relatively low, with few partners actively contributing to prevention, control, and management. He stressed that early detection is critical, noting that timely intervention can delay onset, slow disease progression, and reduce mortality.

According to a recent survey, 8 per cent of Nigerians live with diabetes, 14 per cent with hypertension, and 25 per cent carry the sickle cell gene, underscoring the urgency of sustainable and innovative funding mechanisms.

Dr. Sopekan also highlighted the potential of earmarked taxes on alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, and tobacco products, arguing that a small portion—just 1 per cent of these revenues—could be allocated to address NCDs. “These taxes are coming in, but the money is currently being spent elsewhere, not to address NCDs,” he said.

Prof. Alhassan Emmanuel, Country Lead for Health System Strengthening, GHAI, noted that NCDs account for roughly one-third of all deaths in Nigeria. He warned that funding remains a major challenge, highlighting that in 2025 “not one naira was released for NCDs.”

Officials also commended efforts to provide glucometers in at least one primary healthcare centre in each of the 774 local government areas, but emphasised that much more is needed given the total number of facilities.

Mr. Marcel Sati, Team Lead, Health Sector and Human Capital Development, Budget and Planning Office of the Federation, highlighted the importance of shifting from reliance on donor funding toward innovative domestic financing and resource mobilisation, citing it as a critical pathway to achieve sustainable NCD control.

Olympus Adebanjo, Policy and Advocacy Officer at LISDEL, stressed the need for multi-sectoral collaboration, improved budget tracking, and engagement with the National Assembly to close gaps in NCD financing. He noted that poor alignment between MSAP commitments and budget allocations, weak releases sometimes as low as 17 per cent, and difficulty in tracing funding to specific activities remain key obstacles.

Stakeholders called for urgent reforms to ensure predictable, transparent, and targeted financing of NCD prevention and control, warning that failure to act could worsen Nigeria’s growing public health burden.