The Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) Nigeria has called on the Nigerian government to take full ownership of the health system, moving away from decades of dependence on international donors to fund the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The demand was made during a recent CCM Nigeria retreat, where health stakeholders and lawmakers agreed that Nigeria can no longer rely on external funding to address its health challenges.
For years, global donors have provided life-saving support to combat these three diseases in Nigeria. However, this support has created a dangerous dependency that leaves the country’s health system vulnerable when donor funding reduces or stops entirely.
The retreat participants noted that Nigeria now has a unique opportunity to build a strong health system that can survive without external support. Parliament has promised to act, state governments are being mobilised, and the private sector is paying attention.
However, the stakeholders warned that promises alone will not solve the problem. Nigeria needs a coordinated national plan to raise domestic funds, improve accountability, and integrate disease programmes into a broader universal health coverage system.
Hon. Amobi Ogah Godwin, who led the National Assembly delegation at the retreat, said lawmakers are committed to financing and overseeing Nigeria’s response to HIV, TB, and malaria.
“Our goal is simple, no Nigerian should be denied treatment because of a budget shortfall,” Hon. Ogah declared.
The legislators promised to fulfil Nigeria’s Global Fund co-financing obligations and called for closer scrutiny of health budgets. They also advocated for the creation of a Legislative-Health Sector Accountability Partnership to ensure sustained oversight.
The CCM Nigeria retreat participants stressed that the momentum generated must be sustained through concrete actions, adequate funding, and strong accountability mechanisms