As equitable access to quality health care continues to occupy the policy agendas of state and national government in Nigeria, the single greatest barrier to the health system is the absence of effective institutional arrangements for universal health coverage. The policy makers are saddled with the pressure of how to reconfigure and strengthen the health system to align it with the objectives of UHC, so as to bridge the presently identified gaps and meet the projected health needs of the people of Nigeria over the next decade. Of course, this will require political and financial commitment from the federal as well as state governments through increasing the proportion of government general revenue allocated to health care. Therefore, instituting a system of UHC for Nigeria will require a flexible architecture to deal with inequities in health outcomes, regional and sociocultural diversity, the differential health insurance coverage and health care needs of populations in different locations.
By K. Ojo, C. Nwali and O. Smile (2013)