The federal government has introduced major reforms in Nigeria’s public health system to boost disease surveillance, prevention, and response to global health threats.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the reforms include repositioning the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), opening new laboratories, and introducing genomic surveillance strategies.
He announced the inauguration of the Integrated Disease Reference Laboratory in Lagos to tackle neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and fungal infections. In addition, NCDC has expanded diagnostic services with new laboratories for mPox and Lassa fever while optimising existing facilities in 13 states.
“With these steps, outbreak confirmation and case classification now take only 24–48 hours,” Pate explained, noting Nigeria’s faster turnaround time.
Tinubu’s Role in Recent Breakthroughs
Pate credited President Bola Tinubu’s leadership for several recent milestones, including the launch of the National Genomic Surveillance Strategy and the Nigeria Genomics Consortium.
“These initiatives will transform how we detect, monitor, and respond to infectious diseases,” he said.
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Nigeria will host the 5th Global Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Abuja in 2026.
“As host nation, we have taken the lead by integrating genomics into AMR surveillance,” Pate revealed. “This will strengthen our ability to track pathogens and improve precision medicine.”
The minister highlighted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised Nigeria’s collaborative federal–state surveillance framework as a global model for outbreak response.
He added that monthly surveillance reviews have institutionalised timely data analysis and system improvements nationwide.
Expanding Nigeria’s Health Workforce
To strengthen capacity, more than 325 infection prevention and control (IPC) focal persons from over 300 hospitals are undergoing advanced training.
Pate explained that the new standardised IPC training curriculum will ensure continuity and scale-up across the health sector.
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Nigeria’s preparedness has also improved significantly. According to Pate, the country’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE) score on health security rose from 39% in 2017 to 54% in 2023.
“Our health system is being repositioned for the 21st century,” he said. “We are building resilience and agility to stay ahead of future epidemics.”
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.
