A civil society organisation, Coalition of Concerned Nigerians on Health Reform, has passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector.
In a statement read by the Coordinator of the group, Muniretu Isa, titled ‘Enough Is Enough: Declare a State of Emergency in Nigeria’s Health Sector Now,’ the coalition said: “We have lost confidence in Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate as the Coordinating Minister of Health.
“The Coalition of Concerned Nigerians on Health Reform calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector. The crisis confronting our healthcare system has reached a level where ordinary policy measures are no longer sufficient. Millions of Nigerians are paying the price through delayed treatment, avoidable deaths and declining access to quality healthcare.”
Workforce crisis, failing facilities
The group highlighted Nigeria’s severe shortage of medical personnel: “For a nation of over 220 million people, Nigeria has only about 55,000 licensed doctors available to serve its population, as stated at the ordinary general meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors.
“The result is a dangerously overstretched workforce, with doctors and other healthcare professionals attending to overwhelming numbers of patients under extremely difficult conditions. Those who remain in the country continue to leave in significant numbers for better opportunities abroad, leaving hospitals increasingly understaffed and vulnerable.”
The coalition said the shortage has created long delays and inaccessibility: “Patients now spend long hours waiting for consultations, emergency cases are delayed, and specialist services have become inaccessible to many Nigerians. In rural communities, the situation is even worse, where countless primary healthcare centres operate without adequate personnel, medicines, or essential equipment.”
Unresolved labour issues, poor infrastructure
It listed recurring threats of industrial action by resident doctors and health workers, rooted in “longstanding issues that remain unresolved, including: poor remuneration and unpaid allowances; delays in the payment of salaries and entitlements; shortages of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals; excessive workload caused by workforce shortages; poor working conditions and unsafe hospital environments; failure to fully implement previously signed agreements; inadequate funding for residency training and medical education; insufficient recruitment to replace doctors who have emigrated; deteriorating hospital infrastructure and obsolete medical equipment; lack of essential drugs, consumables and diagnostic facilities”.
“Each strike or threatened strike pushes an already fragile health system closer to collapse, leaving millions of Nigerians uncertain about where they will receive life-saving treatment,” it said.
The group added that: “Public hospitals continue to struggle with obsolete equipment, unreliable electricity, inadequate laboratory services, insufficient hospital beds, and ageing infrastructure. Many tertiary hospitals lack modern diagnostic tools, while numerous primary healthcare centres remain either poorly equipped or completely non-functional.”
Financing and disease burden
“Healthcare financing also remains grossly inadequate. Nigeria continues to spend far below the level envisioned under the Abuja Declaration, forcing millions of citizens to pay for healthcare directly from their pockets. For countless families, falling ill has become both a medical emergency and a financial catastrophe,” it said.
The coalition noted rising costs of medicines and disease burden: “Many patients can no longer afford treatment for chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and heart conditions. Nigeria also continues to record unacceptable maternal and child mortality rates, while preventable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and cholera continue to claim lives. At the same time, non-communicable diseases are increasing without a corresponding expansion in healthcare capacity.”
It warned that: “The continued exodus of healthcare professionals has become one of the greatest threats to national development. Every doctor, nurse, pharmacist or laboratory scientist who leaves Nigeria weakens the country’s ability to provide quality healthcare. The nation is effectively financing the training of professionals whose expertise ultimately benefits other countries.”
Demands for presidential intervention
The group said: “These realities demand urgent presidential intervention” and called on President Tinubu to “declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector, as we have lost confidence in Prof Pate’s ability to deliver, he has fell short of expectations and confidence reposed in him.”
It urged the president to “immediately implement a coordinated national recovery programme that includes: Emergency recruitment and retention of healthcare workers; competitive remuneration and improved welfare packages; full implementation of agreements reached with health sector unions; massive investment in public hospitals and primary healthcare centres; modernisation of medical equipment and diagnostic facilities; expansion of residency training and specialist medical education; strengthening of local pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing; increased healthcare funding with clear accountability and measurable targets; expansion of health insurance coverage to reduce out-of-pocket spending; a comprehensive strategy to reverse the brain drain and encourage Nigerian health professionals abroad to return home.
“Healthcare is not a privilege it is a constitutional and moral obligation of government. A nation cannot build a productive economy, attract investment, or secure its future while its hospitals struggle to provide basic services”.
Time for decisive action is now
“The warning signs are unmistakable. The healthcare workforce is shrinking. Public hospitals are overstretched. Patients are bearing the burden. Confidence in the system continues to decline. The time for incremental reforms has passed. The time for decisive action is now. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector before this crisis deepens beyond repair.”
“We hereby place a vote of no confidence on Prof Muhammad Ali Pate,” the statement concluded.
