Nigeria’s Health Financing Strategy Gains Global Support from UNICEF, World Bank

Nigeria’s health financing reform, anchored on the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), is winning strong support from global development partners, including UNICEF, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi, and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

At a national policy dialogue on Thursday in Abuja, partners and government officials said the reforms aim to reduce fragmentation, improve accountability, and ensure more reliable delivery of healthcare.

Dr. Owen Smith, Lead Health Specialist at the World Bank, said better public financial management (PFM) would be crucial. “If Nigeria gets this right, other countries will come here in five years to learn what was done well,” he said, warning against duplication and gaps in current financing patterns.

FCDO Senior Health Adviser Dave McConalogue stressed the need for government ownership: “Official development assistance is not a lifestyle. Success is when donors step back and government takes full responsibility.”

Representatives of the Gates Foundation and Gavi described SWAp as one of the boldest reforms globally, with potential to position Nigeria as a model for other large countries. They urged expansion of the donor base, stronger budget credibility, and adoption of sustainable financing mechanisms, particularly for vaccines and essential health commodities.

UNICEF’s Dr. Alex Adjagba likened PFM to “the heart of the health system,” warning that without stronger accountability and resource integration, results would remain limited.

On the government side, Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office, said reforms such as a more detailed chart of accounts and unified budgeting would enable states to track spending, access resources, and strengthen co-financing.

The Voice of the People (VOP) reports that partners agreed Nigeria’s SWAp marks a turning point — shifting from fragmented donor-driven projects to a unified platform where government leads, partners align, and citizens benefit.