The Federal Government has unveiled a suite of national health strategies and digital tools aimed at strengthening planning, resource allocation, performance measurement, and service delivery across Nigeria.

The announcement came in a communiqué released on Friday by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, following the 2025 Health Sector–Wide Joint Annual Review (JAR)—the country’s annual accountability forum that evaluates health sector performance and guides planning, budgeting, and coordination across federal, state, and local levels.

Held from November 12 to 14 in Abuja, the meeting addressed growing demands for improved health outcomes, more reliable data systems, and urgent reforms to strengthen primary healthcare and health security. The communiqué emphasized that the newly launched strategies and tools create an integrated ecosystem to enhance planning, coordination, and service delivery.

Among the initiatives introduced were the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint, National Health Facility Registry, National Health Management Information System Assessment, Multi-Source Data Analytics and Triangulation, and Larval Source Management—all designed to improve data quality, visibility, and coordination. Other key strategies included the National Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Facility Readiness Assessment Report, the Climate and Health National Adaptation Plan, the Second National Action Plan for Health Security, the Nigeria Collaborative Action Strategy under the “One Plan. One Campaign. One Frontline” approach, and the Mini-DHS Framework for annual, high-fidelity outcome measurement.

The three-day review was chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, alongside the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, and convened nearly 1,000 participants—including representatives from federal and state governments, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, local government associations, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the media—a two-fold increase from 2024.

The 2025 review marked the first time state-level JARs were conducted prior to the national meeting, reflecting Nigeria’s commitment to the National Health Sector Renewal and Investment Initiative (NHSRII) Compact and the sector-wide principles of One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation. The event also saw the signing of the UHC Compact Addendum, extending the framework to private sector actors, local governments, traditional institutions, and other ministries, while addressing emerging health priorities, global financing shifts, and strengthening accountability through clearer “Ask-and-Offer” mechanisms.

The meeting featured five NHSRII Spotlight Sessions highlighting progress in maternal and neonatal mortality reduction, primary healthcare functionality, emergency referral systems, social health insurance uptake, local manufacturing and regulation, health security through surveillance and laboratories, and governance and financing transitions.

Key digital tools were showcased, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund digital platform, the national e-learning system for frontline health worker training, PHC revitalization dashboards, the SAVE MAMA rural emergency service, and the National Health Insurance Act digital claims platform. The event also included a flagship exhibition with over 45 abstracts and exhibits, an interactive People’s Pulse Town Hall, and an innovative open dialogue on corruption and fiduciary risk.

Resolutions for 2026 included operationalizing the UHC Compact Addendum by the first quarter, adopting biometric verification across primary health centers and insurance platforms, releasing full vaccine counterpart funds, expanding health insurance to enroll five million Nigerians—including one million vulnerable citizens—and transitioning at least 20 priority commodities to local production with five new manufacturing plants operational by 2026.

The communiqué concluded with commitments to strengthen data-guided monitoring, fund allocation, and state-level investments, particularly to enhance the Nigeria Primary Health Care Provision Strengthening Programme (HOPE-PHC) and frontline service delivery.