NATIONAL HEALTH FINANCING POLICY AND STRATEGY
Strategy · Health
A Strategy establishes a framework for mobilizing and allocating financial resources for health across Nigeria. It aims to protect all citizens, particularly the poor, from financial hardship due to medical costs. The policy seeks to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030 and reduce out-of-pocket spending.
What Is This Policy?
The NHFPS is Nigeria’s strategic framework for mobilizing, pooling, and allocating financial resources for health. It aims to ensure that all Nigerians have access to quality health services without suffering financial hardship.
Who Does It Target?
The policy is directed at all Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable who face catastrophic health expenditures. It targets households, ensuring they are protected from financial ruin due to medical costs.
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
The central objective of the NHFPS is to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. It seeks to mobilize adequate resources for health, ensure equitable distribution, and improve efficiency in spending. The policy aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures, expand risk-pooling mechanisms like health insurance, and strengthen accountability in health financing.
Key Features
Resource mobilization: Expanding fiscal space for health through government, private sector, and donor contributions. Risk pooling: Strengthening health insurance schemes to spread financial risk. Equity focus: Prioritizing vulnerable populations. Efficiency: Ensuring funds are used effectively to improve health outcomes. Accountability: Transparent reporting and monitoring of health expenditures.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: ongoing implementation Coverage: applies nationwide Beneficiaries to Date: Millions of Nigerians benefiting from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) Funding: federal budget allocations, state contributions and donor support.
How to Access
Official policy documents available via: • Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH): https://health.gov.ng • P4H Network (global health financing repository).
Important Terms
Term 1- Universal Health Coverage (UHC) UHC means that all Nigerians should be able to access essential health services, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care without suffering financial hardship. Term 2- Catastrophic Health Expenditure This occurs when a household spends such a large portion of its income on healthcare that it is pushed into poverty. In Nigeria, out-of-pocket payments account for over 70% of health spending, making catastrophic expenditure a common risk. The NHFPS aims to reduce this burden by expanding insurance coverage and government-funded health services.
Official Resources
Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH): Website: https://health.gov.ng Responsible for policy oversight and implementation. National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA): Website: https://nhia.gov.ng Oversees health insurance schemes and risk pooling. Federal Ministry of Health Headquarters, Abuja. Email: [email protected] Phone: +234 (0)9 234 0940 Link to document - Link to document
Legal Framework
The National Health Financing Policy and Strategy operates under the National Health Act 2014, which established the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. It aligns with the 1999 Constitution (Section 17, health rights), the National Health Policy, and Nigeria's commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3). The National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022 provides the legislative basis for the contributory health financing components.