FG, Cross River Govt Reaffirm Commitment To Universal Health Coverage, Expand Financial Protection & Equitable Access For Nigerians
The Federal Government and the Cross River State Government on Thursday reaffirmed their joint commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as the Council meetings of the 66th National Council on Health (NCH) opened in Calabar.
Declaring the meeting open on Thursday, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, represented by his Deputy Rt. Honourable Peter Odey; said the gathering underscored the shared responsibility of federal and state authorities to strengthen primary healthcare systems, expand financial protection, and ensure equitable access for all Nigerians.
He highlighted Cross River’s recent reforms, including six months of maternity leave, rural-targeted palliatives, strengthened health insurance coverage, and the renovation of over 100 primary healthcare centres across the state, with support from the World Bank IMPACT project, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and state resources.
Delivering his keynote address, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate CON, praised Cross River State initiatives and noted that Nigeria is beginning to experience measurable improvements in maternal mortality reduction, public confidence in primary healthcare centres and health sector coordination.
He announced that the federal government has secured ₦68 billion for vaccine financing and recently released ₦50 billion to settle outstanding arrears owed to health workers. He urged states to increase their 2026 health budgets by at least one percent to consolidate gains.
“And the results are beginning to show. So, I urge each of the states and your Excellency, our message to you, to all state governors; we hope that in 2026 each state will see at least 1 percent increase in their health budget relative to what they had in 2025. That’s our prayer as we start this, so that the states also increase their contribution to health”.
All of this is not just money frittered away. It’s money to be ring-fenced to continue the expansion of primary health care,to enable the frontline workers have the equipment, the resources for them to be able to function, to provide commodities whether it’s HIV, TB malaria, test kits or bednets deployed for our population”; he further emphasized.
The Coordinating Minister stressed that achieving UHC requires political will, unity of purpose, and societal responsibility.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, emphasised that despite health insurance coverage rising from 3 percent in 2019 to 17 percent today, representing about 37.4 million Nigerians, the pace remains too slow to meet national targets. He commended leading states such as Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu and Cross River, which has achieved 28 percent coverage through its UHC Coordination Centre.
He also noted the revitalisation of PHCs nationwide, with more than 10,800 upgraded and the national PHC quality score increasing from 42 to about 70 percent.
Furthermore, he highlighted the pivotal role of development partners in strengthening Nigeria’s health system; which include expanded investments from the World Bank-supported IMPACT and HOPE Health projects, integrated HIV/TB interventions funded by the U.S. Department of State (formerly USAID), Global Fund support to HIV, TB and malaria programmes, as well as WHO, UNICEF and GAVI Alliance assistance in immunisation and introduction of new vaccines. Development cooperation, according to him, is now more strategically aligned with national health priorities.
Daju Kachollom mni, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, praised Cross River State for its hospitality and commended the commitment shown during two days of rigorous technical sessions.
She also acknowledged the strong leadership of the ministers, the dedication of state commissioners and health officials, and the critical support of development partners.
The Permanent Secretary applauded states that excelled in implementing last year’s NCH resolutions, including Sokoto, Jigawa, Zamfara, Taraba, Delta, FCT, Plateau, and Ekiti, saying their performance demonstrates what is possible when political will meets administrative competence.
She also thanked the NCH Secretariat, the Local Organising Committee led by Cross River State Health Commissioner Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, and all technical contributors for ensuring a successful council.
Additionally, the opening ceremony of the Council meeting of 66th NCH witnessed the presentation of Vehicles and Medical Equipments to the Cross-River State Government by the World Health Organization.
