Nigeria accounts for nearly 20% of global maternal deaths, with a maternal mortality ratio that's terrifyingly high. Felicia Dairo, Programme Manager of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), disclosed this while speaking at a two-day training for health journalists on investigative skills for reporting Nigeria's priority health challenges in Abuja. She said Nigeria is facing a quiet structural emergency in the health sector, worsened by poor accountability, opaque budgeting processes, and weak investigative reporting.

Felicia Dairo stated that despite repeated commitments by the government, the health sector continues to receive funding below the 15% benchmark agreed under the Abuja Declaration. It's clear that the government's commitments haven't led to significant improvements in the health sector. Dairo lamented the lack of progress, saying that it's essential to address the funding gap in the health sector.

Many Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities across the country still lack functional water supply, electricity, and essential drugs, even when billions of naira are reportedly allocated to healthcare delivery. Dairo noted that public institutions shield systemic failures from scrutiny through fragmented health data, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and inaccessible budget documents. They're hiding the truth from the public, and it's affecting the quality of healthcare services.

Every day, our headlines chronicle individual tragedies — a mother who bled to death during childbirth in a rural clinic or a community ravaged by a preventable cholera outbreak — yet most times we don't get the full story.

We rely on official government press releases that claim everything is under control, but that's not always true. These press releases often don't reflect the reality on the ground, and they can't be trusted.

According to Dairo, the overdependence on official narratives has weakened accountability journalism and allowed critical failures in healthcare financing and service delivery to persist unchecked. She said journalists must move beyond emotional storytelling and embrace evidence-based, data-driven investigations. These investigations can expose how public funds meant for healthcare disappear before reaching communities. Dairo stressed that it's essential to track health budgets and analyse complex datasets to uncover accountability gaps.

Dairo explained that the training was designed to equip journalists with investigative skills needed to track health budgets, analyse complex datasets, and uncover accountability gaps across critical health sectors. The workshop focuses on six major areas, including primary health care, maternal and child health, family planning, immunisation, nutrition, and infectious diseases. They're essential areas that require careful scrutiny and investigation.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote investigative journalism and transparency in Nigeria. Felicia Dairo, the Programme Manager of CJID, has been at the forefront of promoting accountability journalism in Nigeria. She's working hard to ensure that journalists have the skills they need to hold those in power accountable.

Nigeria's healthcare system has been plagued by systemic failures, including underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled healthcare professionals. The country's maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, with an estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. It's a shocking statistic that highlights the need for urgent action.

The Abuja Declaration, signed in 2001, committed African countries to allocate at least 15% of their annual budgets to healthcare. However, Nigeria hasn't met this benchmark, with the health sector receiving less than 5% of the annual budget. It's a significant shortfall that's affecting the quality of healthcare services.

The consequences of Nigeria's poor healthcare system are far-reaching. Many Nigerians are forced to seek medical attention in neighbouring countries or abroad, resulting in a significant brain drain of skilled healthcare professionals. The country's economy also suffers, as a significant portion of the GDP is spent on healthcare-related expenses. It's a heavy burden that's affecting the country's economic growth.

  • Nigeria accounts for nearly 20% of global maternal deaths
  • The country's maternal mortality ratio remains high due to underfunding and systemic failures in the health sector
  • The health sector receives funding below the 15% benchmark agreed under the Abuja Declaration
  • Many Primary Health Care facilities lack functional water supply, electricity, and essential drugs
  • Public institutions shield systemic failures from scrutiny through fragmented health data, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and inaccessible budget documents

The Nigerian government has been criticised for its handling of the healthcare sector. Many have called for increased funding and greater transparency in the allocation of healthcare resources. Until these issues are addressed, Nigeria's healthcare system will continue to struggle, and the country's maternal mortality rate won't improve. The government must take action to address the systemic failures in the health sector, and it's essential that they do it soon.