Nigeria at 66: Musings on the health sector in the Renewed Hope era, By Olayinka Atilola

…for the Tinubu administration to translate this year’s anniversary theme of “Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity” beyond the slogan in the health sector at least, it must focus on financial protection as the immediate health-sector priority… This means rapidly expanding publicly financed health insurance for poor and vulnerable households rather than relying predominantly on people to enrol and pay themselves.

Therefore, for the Tinubu administration to translate this year’s anniversary theme of “Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity” beyond the slogan in the health sector at least, it must focus on financial protection as the immediate health-sector priority.

The ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) being worked out between the federal government and the health worker unions — including the Nigerian Medical Association — is a potential fair, data-driven, and legally binding framework that resolves deep-seated labour disputes, prevents nationwide hospital strikes, and directly addresses the systemic brain drain affecting the country.