The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, says patient satisfaction with Nigerian healthcare services currently stands at 74%.
Speaking at the 2025 Joint Annual Review themed “All hands, one mission: Bringing the Nigerian health sector to light,” he added that confidence in the direction of the health system has risen to 55%.
He said citizen perception surveys conducted in 2023, 2024, and 2025 show improvements. “Thousands of Nigerians shared their experiences. Nearly half now believe the government considers their views in decision-making. Confidence in the government’s capacity to manage health emergencies is now at 67%,” he said.
Pate noted that affordability remains a major challenge. “Access to services is improving, but affordability must improve further. Plans such as the Medical Relief Programme and expanded social health protection are underway.”
He added that health insurance coverage has grown from 6–7% to 12%, driven by mandatory insurance and the Vulnerable Groups Fund. He said the ministry will consolidate gains, strengthen primary healthcare, sustain financing, and expand insurance for the poor and vulnerable.
More than 20,000 frontline health workers have been recruited into federal tertiary hospitals within the last year, and over ₦50bn has been approved to address arrears and allowances. Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said the ministry is implementing reforms to tackle workforce shortages, infrastructure gaps, financing challenges, and declining public confidence.
He stated that the National Health System Reform and Investment Initiative has the potential to save ₦4.8tn annually from preventable diseases and retain about ₦850bn spent yearly on medical tourism. Salako noted that over 500 high-impact projects, 13 federal tertiary institutions, and six cancer centres are underway, alongside efforts to expand insurance coverage and improve health financing mechanisms.
