By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government and the Cross River State Government on Thursday renewed their joint commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as the Council meetings of the 66th National Council on Health (NCH) commenced in Calabar.
Declaring the meeting open, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, said the gathering underscores the shared responsibility of national and subnational governments to strengthen primary healthcare systems and expand equitable access to quality health services.
“This meeting reflects our collective duty, federal and state to widen financial protection, prioritise primary healthcare and ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of location or circumstance, has access to essential services,” he said.
Governor Otu highlighted the state’s ongoing health sector reforms, including the extension of maternity leave to six months, targeted rural palliatives, improved health insurance enrolment, and the renovation of more than 100 primary healthcare centres. These interventions, he noted, were supported by the World Bank IMPACT project, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and state resources.
Delivering the keynote address, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, commended Cross River State for demonstrating strong leadership in healthcare delivery. He stated that Nigeria is beginning to witness measurable improvements in maternal health outcomes, public confidence in primary healthcare facilities, and overall sector coordination.
The Minister disclosed that the Federal Government has secured ₦68 billion for vaccine financing and has recently released ₦50 billion to clear outstanding arrears owed to health workers. He urged state governments to demonstrate renewed commitment in the 2026 fiscal year.
“And the results are beginning to show,” Prof. Pate said. “We urge each of the states and Your Excellency, our message to you and to all state governors, is that in 2026, each state should ensure at least a one-percent increase in their health budget relative to 2025. That is our collective prayer as we begin this process.”
He emphasised that all investments in the sector must be safeguarded for frontline service delivery. “All of this is not money to be frittered away. It must be ring-fenced to expand primary healthcare, ensure that frontline workers have the equipment and resources to function, and provide essential commodities whether HIV, TB, malaria test kits or bednets for our population,” he added.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, expressed concern over the pace of health insurance expansion despite recent progress. He noted that coverage increased from 3 percent in 2019 to 17 percent today amounting to 37.4 million Nigerians but remains insufficient to meet national targets.
He commended high-performing states, including Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu and Cross River, the latter of which has achieved 28 percent coverage through its UHC Coordination Centre. Dr. Salako further highlighted improvements in PHC revitalisation nationwide, with over 10,800 centres upgraded and the national PHC quality score rising from 42 to about 70 percent.
He also stressed the pivotal role of development partners, citing expanded support from the World Bank’s IMPACT and HOPE projects, the U.S. Department of State for integrated HIV/TB programmes, the Global Fund, WHO, UNICEF, and the GAVI Alliance in strengthening health systems and expanding immunisation.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, mni, commended Cross River State for its hospitality and praised the commitment demonstrated during two days of rigorous technical deliberations. She acknowledged the leadership of the ministers, the dedication of state commissioners and health officials, and the critical support of development partners.
Kachollom applauded states that excelled in implementing the 2024 NCH resolutions Sokoto, Jigawa, Zamfara, Taraba, Delta, the FCT, Plateau and Ekiti stating that their performance “demonstrates what is possible when political will aligns with administrative competence.”
She further expressed gratitude to the NCH Secretariat, the Local Organising Committee chaired by Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, and all technical contributors.
The opening session also featured the formal presentation of vehicles and medical equipment to the Cross River State Government by the World Health Organization, a gesture officials described as critical to strengthening health service delivery at the subnational level.