…Warns of worsening inefficiency across healthcare value chain
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch, has called on the federal and state governments to convene urgent health sector summits to review and realign existing policies, warning that Nigeria’s healthcare system continues to suffer from deep inefficiencies, poor funding, and worsening brain drain.
Chairman of the association, Dr. Babajide Kehinde Saheed, made the call on Monday during a press conference to mark the 2025 Physicians’ Week held at the association’s secretariat in Surulere, Lagos.
Speaking on the theme “Healthcare as a Value Chain: Building Efficiency from Policy to Patient,” Saheed said the nation’s healthcare delivery system is plagued by “persistent brain drain, poor welfare of healthcare workers, dependence on imported drugs, inadequate funding, and weak governance structures.”
“Our healthcare value chain remains broken at almost every level — from policy formulation to patient care,” he lamented. “We need strong political will, sustainable financing, local drug manufacturing, and policies that reward performance and retention.”
The NMA chair decried the continued underfunding of the health sector, noting that allocations remain far below the 15 percent Abuja Declaration target, while health insurance coverage remains low, leaving millions of Nigerians without access to affordable care.
Key Demands
As part of its advocacy for the 2025 Physicians’ Week, the NMA Lagos branch urged government to:
Improve remuneration and working conditions for doctors and other health professionals.
Ensure full payment of outstanding skipping arrears and provide call-duty meals in tertiary hospitals.
Review the 2006 Lagos State Health Sector Reform Law to reflect present-day realities.
Implement structured two-term tenures for Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors to promote leadership stability.
Protect salary relativity and reverse recent pay reductions affecting Lagos doctors.
Saheed stressed that the health system cannot function optimally without motivated workers, warning that the exodus of skilled medical professionals continues to cripple service delivery.
The 2025 Physicians’ Week also explores a sub-theme titled “AI Ethics and the Physician’s Role in Modern Healthcare.”
According to Saheed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising healthcare globally but poses ethical challenges around fairness, privacy, and accountability — issues that are more complex in Nigeria due to limited expertise and weak regulation.
He noted that physicians must become AI literate and interpret algorithmic outputs responsibly to ensure that “technology supports, not replaces, human judgment in patient care.”
Speakers expected at the event include Dr. Arogundade, President of the Society for Telemedicine and e-Health in Nigeria, and Dr. Achese Inimgba, founder of Medienna.
The 2025 Physicians’ Week, which began with a Thanksgiving Service at the Chapel of Saint Luke the Physician, LASUTH, Ikeja, brings together medical professionals, policymakers, and partners to reflect on the state of healthcare delivery in Lagos and Nigeria.
The opening ceremony and scientific conference will be chaired by Dr. Adeleke Pitan, former Lagos Commissioner for Health and Education, while the keynote address will be delivered by Professor Akin Osibogun, former Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
Saheed reaffirmed the association’s commitment to advocating for better health policies, improved welfare, and a stronger healthcare system.
“It is only through coherent policies and responsible implementation that we can truly build efficiency from policy to patient,” he said.