Nigeria’s health commissioners strengthen capacity on sustainable health financing
Nigeria’s health commissioners strengthen capacity on sustainable health financing
Nigerian State Commissioners for Health have completed a three-day Transformative Health Financing (THF) Course, designed to strengthen capacities and accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage nationwide.
Dr Oyebanji Filani, Chair of the Forum of Commissioners for Health and Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the training exposed them to global best practices adaptable to Nigeria’s diverse health ecosystems.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS), reports that the course was convened by the Nigerian Health Commissioners’ Forum (NHCF) in collaboration with Isuna and the Tekano Group, gathering 36 Commissioners and the FCT Mandate Secretary.
The programme provided intensive sessions on domestic resource mobilisation, equitable allocation and efficiency in health spending, Social Health Insurance reforms, strategic purchasing and prioritising health within government budgets at subnational levels.
Leading experts facilitated the course, including Dr Christoph Kurowski, former World Bank Global Lead for Health Financing, Dr David Evans, former WHO Health Financing Director and Prof. Kara Hanson, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Filani explained that the course deepened participant’s understanding of how financing reforms strengthen subnational health systems, promote accountability, improve efficiency and increase equitable access to essential health services across all states.
He noted that building resilient health systems require strong financial planning, innovative revenue mobilisation and effective collaboration between Ministries of Health and Finance at both state and federal levels.
Participants explored General Government Expenditure drivers per capita, diverse revenue sources, budget trade-offs, risk pooling mechanisms, donor funding strategies and tools to ensure efficient and sustainable health financing in their respective states.
“Commissioners engaged in practical sessions covering Universal Health Coverage prioritisation, political economy management, purchasing mechanisms to incentivise quality service delivery and strategies to prevent fragmentation and improve donor coordination,” Filani said.
Dr Christoph Kurowski, emphasised that health financing is a means to an end, not a goal, urging states to ensure every Nigerian access quality care without financial hardship or catastrophic out-of-pocket payments.
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Dr Ayotunde Oguntade, Principal at Isuna, said that the training equipped commissioners with practical tools, actionable strategies and shared understanding needed to implement sustainable reforms and strengthen health financing governance at the state level.
“Commissioners expressed optimism that the lessons learned would improve coordination with the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, enhance federal-state collaboration and enable more strategic allocation of resources for essential health services.’’
Dr Gaza Gwamn, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, said that the course helped identify gaps in current budgeting practices, noting plans to integrate evidence-based planning and risk-pooling mechanisms into the state health financing system.
VMT NEWS recalls that the THF course complements the Federal Ministry of Health’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which strengthens health system performance through financing reform, improved governance and enhanced quality of service delivery nationwide.
“By equipping commissioners with skills in resource mobilisation, allocation and financial accountability, the course reinforces states’ critical contributions to national Universal Health Coverage goals and sustainable health sector reforms,’’ he said.
“The training also highlighted expected outcomes, including increased state budget prioritisation for health, improved BHCPF utilisation, and stronger collaboration between Ministries of Health, Finance and development partners.
“The THF Course is part of the ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Health Commissioners’ Forum to build leadership and technical capacity for effective governance, evidence-based decision making and sustainable health systems across all Nigerian states.’’
