By Chioma Obinna

Healthcare leaders, regulators, insurers, investors and medical practitioners on Thursday called for urgent reforms to reposition Nigeria’s struggling healthcare sector, warning that access to healthcare must never become a matter of survival for millions of Nigerians battling rising treatment costs and limited financial protection.

They made the call at 5th Hallmark HMO Stakeholders Engagement Forum in Lagos, where critical players across the healthcare value chain raised concerns over the future of the nation’s health system.
The experts cited rising healthcare inflation, workforce migration, weak financing, declining trust and growing pressure on providers as major threats to sustainability.

At the forum themed “Collaborating for Sustainable Healthcare Systems: Financial Stability, Intelligent Systems, Regulatory Excellence and Enhanced Stakeholder Experience,” stakeholders stressed the need for urgent collaboration to build a healthcare system that is accessible, affordable and resilient enough to meet the growing needs of Nigerians.

Speaking, the Chairman of Hallmark Health Services Limited, Eddie Efekoha, said Nigeria’s healthcare sector is at one of the most defining moments in its history, warning that decisions taken today would determine whether the country builds a resilient and inclusive system or one that continues to fail its people.

“Every Nigerian has a healthcare story. It could be the relief of receiving timely treatment, the anxiety of finding quality care, or the challenge of navigating healthcare costs. Behind every statistic are human beings, families, businesses and communities,” Efekoha said.

He noted that the healthcare landscape is being reshaped by soaring inflation, increasing demand for quality care, rapid technological advancements and the mass migration of skilled professionals abroad, stressing that collaboration among stakeholders has become inevitable.

Delivering the keynote address, healthcare governance expert and management consultant, Olumide Ajomale, painted a grim picture of the realities confronting patients and healthcare providers, saying for many Nigerians, the first question in times of illness is no longer about treatment but whether they can afford it.

“Every day in Nigeria, somebody delays a hospital visit because they cannot predict the financial consequences. Every day a provider struggles with rising costs. Every day an HMO balances competing expectations. Every day a regulator must protect the current system while preparing for the future,” Ajomale said.

He disclosed that about 71 per cent of healthcare spending in Nigeria is still funded directly by households through out-of-pocket payments, a development he described as unsustainable and dangerous for vulnerable citizens. According to him, healthcare systems should not be judged merely by policies or technology but by the experiences of patients who rely on them.

Ajomale emphasised that sustainable healthcare in Nigeria can only be built on four critical pillars — financial stability, intelligent systems, regulatory excellence and enhanced stakeholder experience — while stressing that trust remains the foundation upon which all reforms must stand.

“Without trust, there will be no collaboration. Without trust, there will be no compliance. Without trust, there will be no customer loyalty. Without trust, there will be no sustainable growth,” he said.
Also speaking, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hallmark HMO, Mrs. Oladotun Adeogun, said collaboration remains the only viable pathway to addressing the structural challenges confronting Nigeria’s health insurance ecosystem.

She explained that HMOs are often caught between rising treatment costs and fixed premiums, creating pressure across the entire value chain. According to her, bringing all stakeholders together to understand their roles and challenges is key to finding practical and lasting solutions.

Adeogun also urged healthcare providers to embrace technology, improve patient experience and strengthen preventive healthcare, noting that empathy and responsiveness remain critical to quality care.
“When patients come into a hospital, they should not be treated like numbers. Healthcare must remain human,” she said.

She added that expanding health insurance coverage and reducing dependence on out-of-pocket payments would not only improve access to care but also strengthen the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Stakeholders at the forum agreed that while the challenges remain enormous, urgent reforms anchored on trust, innovation, stronger regulation and sustainable financing are critical to preventing healthcare from becoming a privilege only the wealthy can afford.