...As international donor support declines
By Admin
Health advocates have called on the Nigerian government to urgently strengthen domestic financing for healthcare, warning that continued dependence on foreign donors could leave millions of Nigerians without access to lifesaving services if external funding continues to shrink.
The warning came during the quarterly review meeting of the Lagos Accountability Mechanism for Maternal Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Coalition (LASAM) where government officials, civil society groups and development partners examined progress in expanding routine immunisation and discussed strategies for sustaining health programmes through increased local funding.
Speaking at the meeting, Advocacy Coordinator for Save the Children International's Better Opportunity to Optimize Routine Immunization for Zero-Dose and Under-Immunized Children (BOOST) Project in Lagos, Dr. Itunu Dave-Agboola, said recent global funding uncertainties have exposed the vulnerability of Nigeria's health system and underscored the need to mobilise more domestic resources.
"If foreign aid were to stop today, can we sustain the health of our people? That is the question we must answer," she said.
Dave-Agboola noted that donor agencies have played a critical role in financing vaccines, HIV programmes, maternal and child health services and other essential interventions for decades, noting that recent disruptions to international development assistance demonstrate why Nigeria can no longer rely primarily on external funding.
“Routine immunisation remains one of the areas most vulnerable to funding shocks. Gavi has contributed immensely to vaccine procurement and logistics. We have to ask ourselves whether routine immunisation can survive if that support is reduced or withdrawn. That is why domestic resource mobilisation is no longer optional. It is essential," she said.
The BOOST Project supported by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) targets zero-dose children who have never received a single vaccine, and under-immunised children who began vaccination but failed to complete the recommended schedule. The programme is currently being implemented in Alimosho and Ikorodu Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
Beyond expanding immunisation coverage, the project is also supporting advocacy efforts aimed at increasing government investment in primary healthcare.
Working through LASAM, health advocates have engaged the Lagos State Ministries of Health and Economic Planning & Budget, the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, local government authorities and other policymakers to push for improved funding for routine immunisation and child health services.
As part of those efforts, LASAM has undertaken budget tracking and political economy analyses to assess health sector allocations, releases and utilisation.
The findings have been compiled into advocacy scorecards used during meetings with government officials to encourage greater investment and accountability.
Dave-Agoola said evidence-based advocacy has become an effective tool for securing commitments from decision-makers because it presents clear data on funding gaps and implementation challenges.
She expressed concern that although the 2026 health budget had been approved, releases had yet to commence, making it impossible to assess implementation.
"When funds are not released, programmes suffer. You cannot talk about effective utilisation when there is nothing to utilise," she said.
The meeting also explored ways to diversify health financing beyond government budgets by engaging the private sector.
Participants said businesses should view investments in public health as part of their corporate social responsibility, particularly in supporting immunisation programmes that protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Chairperson of LASAM's Advocacy Subcommittee, Mrs. Shola Hassan, said LASAM has intensified engagements with political office holders and local government authorities to improve support for primary healthcare.
She said recent advocacy visits focused not only on routine immunisation but also on the rehabilitation of dilapidated primary healthcare centres and improving welfare for community volunteers who conduct house-to-house immunisation campaigns.
"Poor remuneration of frontline volunteers affects motivation and can compromise data quality, making stronger government support essential," she noted.
She disclosed that the Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government pledged to engage chairmen of the area's six Local Council Development Areas after receiving the group's recommendations.
Hassan described journalists as "the megaphone" that amplifies evidence and advocacy beyond meeting rooms and into public discourse, noting that media reports have previously prompted swift government action on health issues.
"The broader message, beyond vaccines, is that as development assistance becomes increasingly uncertain, Nigeria faces a defining choice: continue relying on external partners to finance essential health services or build a resilient health system supported by predictable domestic resources."
Health advocates also urged politicians to make healthcare a central campaign issue rather than an afterthought. They argued that investments in routine immunisation, maternal health and child survival should become measurable commitments that elected leaders can be held accountable for before and after elections.
