Why health sector needs reforms in 2026 - NMA

Nigeria’s health sector requires all-round reforms in 2026, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said.

The association said its position was informed by the alleged lapses the sector recorded in the outgoing year.

The NMA said the sector, in 2025, recorded a weak policy focus, persistent workforce crises and poor financing.

It noted that the lapses have continued to undermine healthcare delivery across the board.

In a year-end review of the Federal Government’s health sector performance, the Lagos Chairman of the association, Dr. Saheed Babajide Kehinde, described the performance of the sector as “highly unfortunate, unacceptable and disappointing”.

He blamed the government for the alleged lack of clear priorities by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as well as the insufficient political attention to healthcare delivery.

In a statement yesterday, the Lagos NMA chairman said 2025 witnessed an absence of decisive interventions to address the worsening “Japa syndrome,” the mass emigration of healthcare professionals, alongside poor remuneration, weak welfare packages and inadequate training opportunities for health workers.

Kehinde noted that industrial disputes dominated much of the year, with the Federal Government struggling to manage recurring strikes by health sector unions and professional bodies.

The disruptions, he said, repeatedly denied the citizens access to essential healthcare services.