Pate: Traditional, Religious Leaders Key to Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal

The Federal Government has expanded the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders’ Summit on Health as part of efforts to accelerate comprehensive reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, anchored on the Health Sector Renewal Compact.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja ahead of the summit.
According to him, the ongoing health sector reforms focus on strengthening governance and accountability, expanding access to quality health services, unlocking the health value chain, and reinforcing health security and system resilience. He stressed that the renewed engagement with traditional and religious leaders is aimed at ensuring clarity, alignment and shared responsibility in delivering improved health outcomes.
“Health outcomes are not driven by government action alone. They are shaped by trust, leadership and decisions made in households and communities every day. That is why engagement with traditional and religious leaders is essential,” Pate said.
He revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the convening of the summit in line with provisions of the National Health Act 2014, which provides for consultative mechanisms to strengthen coordination and shared accountability across the health system.
Pate explained that the summit is designed to deepen understanding of the Ministry’s reform blueprint aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, strengthen collaboration for effective implementation, and reinforce accountability at federal, state and local government levels.
The 2026 edition of the summit has been expanded to include the launch of the National Health Fellows Programme, an initiative aimed at creating structured pathways for young Nigerians to develop leadership capacity within the health system.
Another major component of the summit will be a structured dialogue on the Nigeria–United States Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) supporting responses to HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Under the five-year framework, the United States Government is expected to contribute approximately $2 billion, while Nigeria—through federal and state governments—will provide about $3 billion, accounting for 60 percent of the total financing.
“This is a structured transition. We will increase domestic financing while external financing reduces in a predictable manner. Partners can support, but they cannot permanently substitute sovereign responsibility. The health of Nigerians is the responsibility of Nigerians,” Pate stated.
Addressing concerns surrounding the agreement, the Minister clarified that only 10 percent of the U.S. contribution—not the total financing envelope—is earmarked for faith-based health service providers. He cautioned against narratives that could distort facts or create division.
“This applies to facilities providing diagnosis, treatment and care—Christian, Muslim and other recognised faith-based institutions. There is no provision in the MOU privileging any specific religious group,” he said.
Pate described traditional and religious leaders as critical partners in community mobilisation, champions of trust and accountability, and influential voices capable of translating policy into everyday action.
He noted that for the first time, the summit would bring together traditional and religious leaders nationwide in a unified forum on health, expanding beyond immunisation to cover broader system priorities.
“Diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria do not recognise religion, ethnicity, geography or gender,” he said.
The summit will also address key health issues including maternal and child health, nutrition and underlying determinants of malnutrition, human resources for health, and service delivery systems. The Minister emphasised that health goes beyond clinical care to include household decisions, social norms and community practices.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, mni, directors of various departments, and development partners were present at the press briefing.