Professor Tanimola Akande Sodiq Ojuroungbe Rcently, the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Amos Magaji, while x-raying the challenges plaguing Nigeria’s health sector, suggested that Nigeria’s university teaching hospitals be privatised to enhance efficiency and improve healthcare delivery. However, his suggestion has been widely condemned by stakeholders in the health sector, who said the idea was unrealistic in light of present socioeconomic realities. They noted that privatisation could lead to job losses for health workers and capable of making healthcare unaffordable for many Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, they advocated for alternative solutions such as increased government funding, public-private partnerships, and broader health insurance coverage to strengthen the healthcare system without privatising its core institutions. The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Dele Abdullahi, insisted that it is not feasible for Nigeria at the moment, to privatise teaching hospitals. Dr Dele Abdullahi While acknowledging the potential relief privatisation could provide to the government by shifting the financial burden of hospital management, he highlighted fundamental concerns regarding healthcare access and affordability.
The NARD president raised critical questions about whether privatisation would improve hospital efficiency or help the government fulfil its.