The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has called for a shift from crisis-driven private sector donations to structured, long-term co-investment to strengthen Nigeria’s health security.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said recurring outbreaks such as Lassa fever, cholera, diphtheria and mpox expose vulnerabilities that disrupt productivity, supply chains and investor confidence, making health security an economic imperative.
He noted that government and donors alone can no longer sustainably fund preparedness, especially amid shrinking aid and rising disease risks linked to urbanisation, climate shocks and mobility.
With the private sector contributing nearly 90 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP, Idris said it must move from ad-hoc emergency support to institutionalised partnerships aligned with the National Action Plan for Health Security (2024–2028).
Priority co-investment areas include disease surveillance, laboratory and genomic capacity, emergency response infrastructure, logistics, risk communication and workforce development.
As next steps, the NCDC plans to issue a Private Sector Call to Action and establish a Health Security Advisory Council to drive transparent, accountable and sustained public-private collaboration.
