I was pleased to join the 10th Nigeria–EU Business Forum in Lagos yesterday, convened by the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States together with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the theme Enhancing Sustainable Investment Together, where health systems sat among the named priority sectors of the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy alongside digital infrastructure, renewable energy, sustainable transport and agricultural value chains.

The Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain records that Nigeria imports around 70% of its medicines and close to all of its vaccines, compared with a national ambition to produce 70% of its healthcare products locally by 2030, while the World Health Organization finds that noncommunicable diseases account for 27% of deaths in Nigeria.

Capital investment in health systems is realised only through a workforce equipped to translate it into service delivery. The European Union Support to Public Health Institutes in Nigeria EU-SPIN sets out to train 75% of the relevant public health workforce, and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa has long delivered professional development to frontline health workers across Nigeria, as the Wellbeing Africa Institute for Research and Development aims to equip that very workforce with the data, research and innovation necessary.

I welcome the health financing announced at the Forum and the European Union’s continued partnership with Nigeria, and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa stands ready to carry these commitments to the frontlines of every clinic, ward and community across the federation.

 

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