Patients living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria have urged the Federal Government to urgently release and implement the 2025 national budget for NCDs to fulfil its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) commitments.
The call was made on Thursday in Abuja by the Patient Advocacy Working Group for NCDs Financing in Nigeria — a coalition of hypertension patients, civil society organizations and health professionals — during a media conference to mark the 2025 UHC Day.
Globally commemorated on Dec. 12, the 2025 theme is: “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!”
Representing the patient community, Mrs. Ijeoma Joseph of the Regima Community Care Foundation said the government must translate its health commitments into concrete, life-saving actions for people battling chronic illnesses.
“NCDs, including hypertension, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases, pose some of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s human capital and economic prosperity. NCD patients in Nigeria bear one of the largest shares of public health burdens,” she said.
Joseph said one-third of Nigerian adults live with at least one NCD, yet fewer than 20 per cent have access to diagnosis and treatment.
She noted that this reality contradicts the national targets outlined in the 2019–2025 Multisectoral Action Plan, which seeks to expand diagnosis and treatment coverage to 80 per cent and reduce NCD-related mortality by 25 per cent.
“Yet only six per cent of the already insufficient health budget is allocated to NCDs,” she added.
Vice-President of the Nigeria Cancer Society, Dr. Chi-Kadibia Ukoma, said that almost none of the activities budgeted for NCDs in 2025 had been executed.
“These activities include constructing cancer centres, establishing eye clinics, conducting medical outreaches for hypertension and diabetes screening, and training health workers,” he said.
Ukoma said the situation undermines the spirit of UHC, which is rooted in addressing the social factors that influence health.
He noted that poor health education, low household income, limited access to early screening and the high cost of medicines — worsened by economic pressures — had increased the burden of chronic diseases among Nigerians.
“Patients have been on the sidelines for too long as policies and budget decisions are made on their behalf, but the era of silence is over,” he said.
General Secretary of the Health Sector Reform Coalition, Dr. Ndaeyo Iwot, said it was time to convert political will into sustainable financing for prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.
He urged the government to prioritize and safeguard NCD funding, noting that allocations were meaningless without timely release of funds.
“The Federal Government should swiftly release all NCD budget lines in the 2025 budget to enable prompt implementation by the relevant agencies. Persistent low budget performance must end immediately,” he said.
Iwot also called on the Executive and National Assembly to ring-fence the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax for specialized NCD interventions.
“We commend the Senate and the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Pate, for supporting an increase from the token N10 per liter to a more effective rate such as N130 per liter, or at least 20 per cent of the retail price. At least 40 per cent of SSB tax revenue should be dedicated to NCD prevention and control,” he said.
On strengthening NCD care within UHC, he said high out-of-pocket spending was forcing millions to delay or abandon treatment for life-threatening conditions.
He added that the National Health Insurance Authority and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund must urgently scale up the inclusion of NCD screening, diagnostics and treatment in their benefit packages.
“Half of adults with diabetes remain diagnosed, and only one in five individuals with hypertension has their condition under control,” he said.
Founder of the Maimurna Hope Foundation for Cancer and Ostomy Care, Mrs. Maimurna Barau, stressed the importance of investing in primary healthcare (PHC) to achieve UHC.
She said PHC facilities must be adequately equipped and staffed to deliver basic NCD prevention and management, which account for up to 90 per cent of essential UHC interventions.
The group expressed readiness to collaborate with government at all levels to advance UHC for NCD patients.
It called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to demonstrate decisive leadership by increasing NCD funding and establishing a dedicated hypertension budget line.
It also urged government to mandate earmarked SSB tax revenue and ensure full integration of NCD services within the UHC framework.
“The health and future of 230 million Nigerians depend on the decisions made today,” the group said.
