The First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has advocated for long-term health finance methods that promote efficient resource mobilization and utilization to boost Africa’s healthcare systems.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mrs. Tinubu emphasized that Africa’s economic progress and social stability are dependent on a strong healthcare system that ensures millions of people on the continent have access to important medical services.
Busola Kukoyi, her Senior Special Assistant on Media, signed a press statement on Friday confirming this.
According to the statement, Mrs. Tinubu made the announcement during a high-level meeting on domestic health financing in Africa.
“Africa cannot continue to rely solely on donor funding and foreign aid, which, although helpful, are often unpredictable and unsustainable.
“Instead, we must develop innovative financing strategies tailored to our unique challenges and circumstances,” she stated.
The High-Level Meeting, hosted by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, brought together African leaders, donor agencies, and financing partners to examine homegrown solutions to Africa’s healthcare difficulties, particularly in light of projected funding gaps caused by recent U.S. policy changes.
Tinubu, who shares Nigeria’s position, emphasized that a healthy continent is a prosperous continent and urged African states to take quick steps to close healthcare budget gaps.
She emphasized the importance of national health budgets, urging states to follow their pledges under the Abuja Declaration, which requires that at least 15% of national budgets be spent on healthcare.
“Given the increasing funding gap for health on the continent, I urge us all to come together and commit to advocating for increased national health budgets.
“We must also support innovative financing mechanisms and explore sustainable models, such as expanding health insurance coverage, health endowment funds, and investments from the African diaspora,” she said.
As the Global and National Stop TB Champions, the First Lady emphasized the importance of African First Ladies in mobilizing healthcare resources through government engagement, private sector collaboration, and international partnership.
The meeting included conversations with leaders from “Rwanda, Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Barbados,” as well as donors and global health partners.
Consensus was reached on the “urgent need for Africa to look inward” in tackling its healthcare challenges—through investment in “local research, medical technology, improved manpower, and sustainable funding strategies.”
The leaders agreed that any new finance methods must include “accountability and transparency” to guarantee that allotted money is used efficiently.
The gathering, convened at a key point in Africa’s healthcare landscape, represents a renewed commitment to “self-reliance and sustainability in health financing.”
With critical financing gaps and shifting global financial dynamics, “Nigeria and other African nations are pushing for innovative, homegrown solutions” to ensure the continent’s healthcare future.
Chronicle NG reports that President Bola Tinubu arrived in Ethiopia for the AU Summit, slated for February 14–18, 2025.
