Sick Population, Stagnant Growth: Urgent Need for Healthcare Reform in Nigeria

The Critical Importance of Primary Health Care in Nigeria

Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has repeatedly highlighted the need to invest in critical sectors such as primary health care. As a public health professional, I find myself in agreement with his assertion not because of political affiliation, but due to the profound truth behind his words. During an interview, he stated that “70% of Nigeria’s primary health care centres are not functional.” This single statistic reveals the tragic state of a health system that has long neglected its most vulnerable citizens—those in rural areas, the poor, and the forgotten. It is no exaggeration to say that Nigeria’s health system is failing and has been for decades. And this failure comes with severe consequences.

A sick nation cannot be a productive one. A population plagued by preventable illnesses, high maternal and child mortality rates, and weak health infrastructure cannot contribute meaningfully to national development. The ripple effect of poor healthcare is economic stagnation, social disintegration, and ultimately, national decline.

The Role of Primary Health Care

Primary Health Care (PHC) is the cornerstone of any effective healthcare system. It is the first level of contact between individuals and the national health system. PHC is meant to provide essential, affordable, and accessible health services—from disease prevention and health promotion to curative and rehabilitative services. It should serve as a safety net that catches people before their conditions worsen, preventing simple infections from becoming fatal diseases, pregnancies from turning into death sentences, and malnutrition from permanently stunting a child’s development. However, this is not the reality in Nigeria.

Instead, what we see is a skeletal PHC framework, often reduced to empty buildings without personnel, equipment, or essential drugs. Health workers are underpaid and overworked, while corruption siphons off funds meant for rural clinics. Oversight is weak, and policies, though often well-written, are rarely implemented effectively.

The Human Cost of Health System Failure

Imagine a woman in labor in a remote village with no midwife, no ambulance, and no hospital within a 20km radius. Imagine a farmer with malaria forced to rely on herbs because the local PHC has been non-functional for years. Imagine a toddler with diarrhea, a treatable condition, dying because the mother had no access to oral rehydration therapy. Multiply these individual tragedies by millions, and you begin to grasp the scale of the crisis.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria loses over $1.5 billion annually due to reduced productivity linked to preventable illnesses. Maternal mortality remains among the highest in the world, with an estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, while child malnutrition continues to threaten the lives of millions under age five. Each of these statistics represents a life cut short, a family thrown into despair, and a dream unrealized. Health is indeed wealth, literally.

The Path Forward

We cannot continue to chant economic diversification and human capital development while ignoring the health of our people. Sick individuals cannot work. Sick children cannot learn. A sick population cannot build a strong, self-reliant nation. Health is the foundation upon which productivity is built, and no country has achieved sustainable development without investing significantly in its healthcare system. When healthcare is dysfunctional, everything else is at risk—education, agriculture, industry, even national security.

To revamp Nigeria’s healthcare system, especially at the primary level, the following steps must be taken:

1. Restore and equip PHCs: A nationwide audit and rehabilitation of all Primary Health Care centers is necessary. Equip them with modern facilities, ensure regular drug supply, and establish reliable electricity (preferably solar) and water systems.
2. Strengthen the health workforce: Recruit, train, and retain health workers, especially in rural areas. Offer incentives such as housing, hazard allowances, and career progression for rural service.
3. Curb corruption and improve accountability: Transparent allocation and monitoring of health budgets are essential. Establish citizen-based monitoring groups to track PHC service delivery.
4. Integrate ICT and telemedicine: Incorporate technology to bridge the health access gap. Mobile health apps, digital consultations, and health records systems can enhance reach and efficiency.
5. Prioritize maternal and child health: Ensure every PHC is equipped to provide antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, immunization, and nutrition counseling. No woman should die giving life. No child should die of hunger.
6. Community engagement: Empower communities to take ownership of local health initiatives. Engage traditional and religious leaders in promoting healthy practices and health-seeking behavior.
7. Invest in health education and promotion: Awareness is the first step toward prevention and early treatment. Many Nigerians suffer or die needlessly because they do not recognize early warning signs of disease or delay seeking care.

Communities should be regularly educated about early signs and symptoms of common illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, malaria, and typhoid. By promoting health literacy and encouraging routine screening and health checks, especially in rural areas, we can detect diseases early, reduce complications, and save lives. Health education must become as routine as school lessons or market announcements.

A Wake-Up Call

We must stop living in denial. We are not progressing if the majority of our population is unwell. We are not developing if rural dwellers who feed the nation are neglected. We are not succeeding if childbirth becomes a death sentence. What we need now is empathy-driven leadership. Leadership that sees health not just as a political promise, but as a moral imperative. We need leaders and policymakers who see the faces behind the statistics and act accordingly.

Let us begin to build a Nigeria where being healthy is not a privilege but a right. Let us create a future where every Nigerian, no matter how poor or remote, has access to basic health care. Only then can we truly say we are on the path to national productivity, prosperity, and pride.