By By Elizabeth Ugbo
Nigeria has urged African leaders to embrace health security sovereignty. Vice President Kashim Shettima made the call on Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He spoke during a high-level side event at the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly. The event focused on how Africa can build self-sufficient health systems and reduce dependence on foreign aid.Nigeria Pushes for Health Security Sovereignty in AfricaSpeaking at the event themed “Building Africa’s Health Security Sovereignty,” Shettima stressed the urgency of reform. He said Africa must no longer rely on distant supply chains. Instead, the continent should strengthen homegrown health systems.According to him, global health emergencies exposed Africa’s vulnerabilities. During COVID-19, Africa waited for vaccines and medical supplies. However, he noted that endurance alone is not a strategy.“Health security is national security,” he declared. Furthermore, he explained that continental cooperation is essential. A virus, he said, does not respect borders.Collaboration with Africa CDCThe initiative is a partnership between Nigeria and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, it aims to mobilise investment in health workforce development. In addition, it seeks to strengthen community health systems and immunisation programmes.Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the AU Summit, Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment. He stated that Nigeria is ready to collaborate with all AU member states. Therefore, he urged collective action to build a resilient continent.Nigeria’s Health Sector Reform AgendaMeanwhile, Shettima outlined Nigeria’s ongoing health reforms. He said the country is boosting local pharmaceutical manufacturing. Similarly, it is increasing domestic health financing and strengthening regulation.He highlighted the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. Notably, the programme secured over $2.2 billion in commitments. It also plans to renovate more than 17,000 primary healthcare centres.Additionally, the initiative aims to train 120,000 frontline health workers. It further seeks to expand health insurance coverage within three years. These reforms are driven by the National Health Insurance Authority.Strengthening Epidemic PreparednessFurthermore, Nigeria is enhancing epidemic intelligence and emergency preparedness. Through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, laboratory networks are expanding. At the same time, genomic surveillance is improving nationwide.The Vice President added that emergency operations centres are being reinforced. Consequently, Nigeria can respond faster to disease outbreaks.Regulatory Reforms and Local ManufacturingIn addition, Nigeria has intensified regulatory oversight. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is upgrading quality-control laboratories. It is also tightening enforcement against substandard medicines.Moreover, processes for compliant manufacturers are being streamlined. This approach, he said, reduces exposure to health risks.Shettima also referenced the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain. The initiative removes structural bottlenecks for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Likewise, it supports medical device assemblers and biotechnology innovators.As a result, Nigeria aims to catalyse investment in local drug manufacturing. It also seeks to boost diagnostics production and biotechnology research.Call for Private Sector ParticipationHowever, Shettima stressed that governments cannot act alone. Therefore, he called for stronger private sector participation. According to him, private investment is central to Africa’s health sovereignty agenda.Support from African Leaders and PartnersEarlier, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, praised the Africa CDC and the African Union Commission. He noted that Nigeria is building a reliable health workforce database. Additionally, the government is improving workforce capabilities, especially in rural areas.The Director General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control, Dr Jean Kaseya, also commended Nigeria’s reforms. Nevertheless, he warned that health workforce investments across Africa remain insufficient.Health ministers from Senegal, Malawi, and Ethiopia expressed support. They pledged to strengthen workforce databases and community health systems.Communiqué Calls for Increased InvestmentAt the end of the forum, a communiqué was presented. Ministers of Health and Finance urged stronger political commitment. They also called for sustained investment in Human Resources for Health and Community Health Systems.Specifically, they urged leaders to prioritise Community Health Workers. They further recommended accelerating progress toward two million community health workers by 2030.Finally, the ministers called for increased domestic financing. They also encouraged the development of national community health acceleration plans across Africa
