Why public-private synergy is key to revitalizing Nigeria’s healthcare

The Health Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has made a strong case for bridging the public-private divide in healthcare to deliver better services, boost financing, and fast-track universal health coverage (UHC).

Speaking at HFN’s 10th anniversary and healthcare leadership conference held on the 2nd of June, 2025, in Lagos—tagged “Accelerating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Health Sovereignty: Scaling Up Best Practices through Public-Private Integration”—health leaders and policymakers called for urgent and intentional collaboration between sectors.

“For our nation’s finances and the health of our people, integration is not a theoretical debate—it’s an absolute necessity,” said Senator Ipabilo Banigo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health at the National Assembly. “As a health professional and legislator, I can tell you unequivocally: we cannot afford to work in silos.”

The conference, held in collaboration with WHX Lagos, spotlighted the growing urgency to leverage the strengths of both sectors to reform Nigeria’s overstretched healthcare system.

Dr. Adedamola Dada, former CMD of Federal Medical Center, Ebute-Metta, stressed that synergy is a game-changer for care delivery.

“Synergy strengthens the health value chain—it improves resource flow, enhances quality, and reduces inefficiencies,” Dada noted.

HFN’s theme this year is more than a slogan—it’s a strategy. The organization emphasized that sustainable health reform depends on action, not talk. “We must move beyond rhetoric,” the group stated in a concept note. “Operationalizing reform means leveraging the complementary strengths of both sectors.”

Dr. Nkata Chuku, founding partner at Health Systems Consult Limited, echoed this sentiment. “To achieve UHC and build resilient, self-reliant systems, Nigeria must scale up best practices through intentional collaboration,” he said.

He pointed to the success of the group practice model globally, which has consolidated resources, standardized care, and boosted financial viability.

For Kakpema Yelpaala, senior fellow at Yale School of Public Health, collaboration must also extend into the digital and data spheres.

“Collaboration encourages a broad spectrum of research and data sharing, bridging the gap of data fragmentation,” he explained. “During the pandemic, data federation helped drive breakthrough innovations. That’s the model we must build on,” he added.

As Nigeria pushes toward health sovereignty, stakeholders agree: integration is not just ideal—it’s inevitable.

Read also: Why healthcare is the new currency of investment for Africa’s future – Menakaya

Key highlights

Nigeria’s journey toward universal health coverage (UHC) must run through two powerful channels: the private health sector and digital innovation. This was the message from top health leaders at the recent Healthcare Leadership Conference in Lagos, where stakeholders mapped out strategies to transform healthcare access and equity.

Ibrahim Oloriegbe, chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), emphasized the critical role of the private sector in delivering healthcare and its essential place within the insurance ecosystem.

“With the NHIA Act in place, we have new tools to expand access,” Oloriegbe said. “Section 2C of the Act mandates the integration of the private sector in achieving universal health coverage,” he added.

“The private sector is not just a service provider—it is a strategic partner. Over 60 percent of healthcare in Nigeria is delivered by private facilities. If we are serious about expanding access and improving quality, we must bring private providers into the heart of the national insurance framework,” Oloriegbe explained.

The role of technology—and particularly artificial intelligence—was another focus of the conference, with urgent warnings about Africa’s digital underrepresentation.

Yelpaala highlighted the critical need for inclusive data in the development of AI for health.

“Eighty percent of AI models are trained in English. But Africa speaks hundreds of local languages, and our health realities are vastly different,” he said. “We need large, locally relevant datasets to develop AI tools that serve our people,” he stated.

Yelpaala cautioned against delay: “The opportunity cost of inaction is rising. Global AI systems are racing toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), but African data, languages, and context are missing from the equation. If we don’t act now, African countries will be sidelined in the AI-augmented future of healthcare,” he noted.

Banigo also underscored the role of political leadership in driving real health reform.

“I’ve been pushing for legislative leadership to unlock UHC, through stronger oversight, increased budgetary allocation, and the institutionalization of digital innovations like telemedicine,” she said. “This isn’t just policy talk—it’s a call to action.”

With the stakes rising, health leaders agree that Nigeria’s future health system depends on deeper integration, bold innovation, and urgent investment, especially in the data and people that have long been overlooked.