Iziaq Salako, minister of state for health and social welfare; brain Deaver, chief executive officer of the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE); Prosper Okonkwo, CEO, APIN Public Health Initiative, are set to headline the BusinessDay Health Conference, alongside other key stakeholders.
The conference set to hold August 7 at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution in Abuja marks the first in the series. With the theme, “Bridging The Gap: Advancing Equitable and Affordable Access to Healthcare in Nigeria”, it aims to provide a platform for stakeholders and experts to advance discussions and actionable steps to strenghten the healthcare sector.
Health experts note that one of the most persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare system is the inadequacy of sustainable financing models to support equitable and affordable access to healthcare, especially for vulnerable and underserved populations.
Despite efforts from the government, donor agencies, and the private sector, traditional funding mechanisms have proven insufficient in meeting the complex needs of the population and driving large-scale transformation in the health and pharmaceutical sectors.
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Experts further point to an underdeveloped local health care value chain as reflected in Nigeria’s dependency on foreign medical and pharmaceutical products. While there have been policies and targeted intervention such as the Presidential Initiative on Health Care Value Chain, they believe the lack of policy coordination and regulatory harmonisation have delayed progress.
As healthcare systems globally move toward models that are inclusive,financially resilient, and technologically adaptive, experts highlight a growing imperative for Nigeria to diversify its financing landscape through innovative approaches.
To this end, the BusinessDay Conference seeks to identify regulatory pathways and actionable policy implementation steps to attract local and international investors into Nigeria’s health ecosystem; examine innovative and alternative financing models, including Islamic finance and blended capital structures, that can support health infrastructure and pharmaceutical investments in Nigeria. •
According to the BusinessDay, the conference will showcase the potential of AI-enhanced telemedicine and other digital health solutions as investment-worthy tools for expanding equitable healthcare delivery. It will also explore how Shariah-compliant public-private partnerships (PPPs) can drive sustainable development in Nigeria’s healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
Furthermore, the conference seeks to facilitate cross-sector dialogue among policymakers, investors, health tech innovators, and development partners to chart actionable strategies for financing inclusive health outcomes.
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Also expected are and experts include: Adaeze Oreh, 27th commissioner for health, Rivers state; Wolemi Esan, deputy managing partner, Olaniwum Ajayi LP; Otunva Ewenla, MD/CEO, Ultimate Health Management Services Limited; Francisca Igboanugo, team lead, stren & blan partners; Muhammad Mahmud, CMD/CEO, National Hospital, Abuja.
Others are: Ibi Ogunbiyi, Partner Olaniwum Ajayi LP; Dayo Israel, board chairman, FMC Abaeokuta; Mustapha Zakari, executive vice-chairman of mass life healthcare limited; Kelechi Okoro, founder, Heal for Africa Initiative; Abdulazeez Oniyangi,CEO, Swift Air Ambilance Services ltd; Afolabi Adetola, director of Carna Medicare ltd; and Ismail Rufai, Head, Advisory One17 Financial Services ltd.
