The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on Nigeria to strengthen the use of research and evidence in designing health financing policies that can accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Robert Marten, of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (WHO), said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the ongoing National Health Financing Dialogue with the theme “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria.”

Mr Marten presented a paper on “Global Experience with Using Research and Evidence to Inform Policy”.

The dialogue, convened to establish a strong evidence base for increased and sustained financing, is expected to chart new pathways for private sector participation, sub-national financing, and stronger accountability frameworks in the health sector.

Mr Marten said Nigeria faced peculiar challenges in health financing that required domestic solutions.

“We are interested in reframing health financing as an investment and mobilising domestic resources to achieve UHC here in Nigeria.

“This is not a unique goal as many countries are looking at it, but what is unique are Nigeria’s particular challenges,” he said.

He highlighted the urgent need to raise primary healthcare spending from seven dollars to 30 dollars per person and to increase government health allocations from eight to 15 per cent of national expenditure.

He also stressed the importance of reducing out-of-pocket health spending by scaling up enrollment in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

He stressed that while there was consensus on what needed to be done, the how remained unclear, which was where health policy and systems research was crucial.

Mr Marten cited global examples, including India’s rollout of the world’s largest tax-funded health insurance scheme, which now covered 500 million people, and reforms in countries such as Rwanda, Mexico, Ghana and Taiwan that had embedded research into policy cycles.

He said Nigeria could adapt lessons from those countries by prioritising local research capacity, fostering partnerships between policymakers and researchers, and institutionalising evidence-based decision-making.

According to him, reforms succeed when they are backed by credible local institutions, measurable quick wins, multisectoral collaboration, and sustained trust between government, academia, and development partners.

“This is a moment in time for Nigeria to step up. Global health financing commitments are shrinking, but Nigeria has world-class expertise and leadership.

“Building a learning ecosystem that embeds research in policy is key to moving forward,” he said.

Mr Marten, however, warned against standalone efforts and underestimating the role of politics in reforms, urging stakeholders to instead build strong trust networks and utilise current windows of opportunity.

He added that the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, hosted at WHO, worked with 43 countries to foster partnerships that accelerated policy implementation and would continue supporting Nigeria in its process.

The four-day dialogue, which began on Monday, brings together policymakers, development partners, health financing experts, civil society, the media and health insurance representatives.

Also participating are private sector players and the academia, to build on recent progress and translate high-level commitments into actionable strategies for sustainable health financing in Nigeria. 

(NAN)