World Bank don approve total $3.53bn (about N5.4tn with official exchange rate of N1,535/$) as loan wey relate to health for Nigeria over the past nine years.
But Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, plus health officials for different states talk say even with all the money wey don enter healthcare, people no dey see the result.
Dem talk say Nigeria health system still poor, and e no reflect the plenty loan wey World Bank don give.
Review wey dem do from World Bank project portal show say from 2016 reach 2025, at least 11 big health projects don collect $3.527bn loan and $111.29m grant. Altogether, World Bank don commit about $3.64bn to health matter for Nigeria during that time.
Dem observe say World Bank dey plan approve another $250 million health loan for Nigeria by September. If dem approve am, e go raise total loan and grant wey Nigeria don collect for health sector reach $3.89 billion.
Di money wey dem don give before cover plenty health projects, and dem pass am through federal bodies like Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and Federal Ministry of Finance.
Di support na to help improve immunization, mama and pikin health, nutrition, prepare for pandemic, and better primary healthcare for different states. Data wey dem check show say most of di money enter between 2018 and 2024, especially when COVID-19 wahala start.
People wey dey work for health sector and officials for different states don talk say even with all the money wey Nigeria don collect for healthcare, the result no dey show at all.
President of Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Tope Osundara, talk say health infrastructure for Nigeria still poor, and e no match the plenty World Bank loan wey dem don collect.
Osundara talk say, “Una sabi say sometimes light no dey. Make I give example, for UCH recently, light no dey. So if you look the kind money wey World Bank dey pump into our healthcare, you go see say nothing dey to show except say we get more health centres and federal medical centres.”
He still talk say pay for healthcare workers dey very poor compared to wetin e suppose be. Support for medical workers no dey. Dem no fit easily collect loan, whether na house loan or car loan. Things wey fit make life better for dem no dey available.
He talk say if you check the kind money wey World Bank don give Nigeria, e be like say the money no dey go where e suppose go. Because if the money dey used well, we suppose don see better improvement. Sometimes you go hospital, no drug, no light.
NARD President come beg government make dem use the loan money well.
Dem talk say make government no divert the money. Ministry of Health suppose monitor all the funds and loans wey dem give for health matter. Make dem use the money well, and any attempt to carry the money go do another thing suppose stop or dem suppose check am well.
Dem say government need to focus on how to make the health system strong, especially with the World Bank loans wey dey come. Make dem find way to respond to health emergency and work with people wey sabi the matter so that Nigeria health care system go better.
Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria talk say even though some improvement dey for hospital building and equipment, the training and number of medical workers still poor, despite all the billions wey World Bank don give.
President of MDCAN, Prof Muhammad Muhammad, talk say the training and availability of doctors and nurses no reach where e suppose be.
When dem ask am whether the World Bank loan don really help medical support for Nigeria, he talk say the impact still low compared to the amount wey dem don collect. He advise government make dem carry frontline medical professionals join body to identify the important areas wey need help before dem begin use the money.
Make government carry people wey go use the health services join body when dem dey plan how to use the money, so that the funds go enter areas wey go give quick result. Government suppose involve these end-users to check wetin dey really need and how dem fit use the money sharp sharp.
Omomo Tibiebi, wey be PRO of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector, talk say health infrastructure for Nigeria still get plenty wahala, even after World Bank don give big loans.
He talk say even with over $3bn loan, Nigeria health system still dey suffer from lack of money, poor health result, disease wey dey spread, and weak hospital structure.
He talk say government no dey spend well on healthcare, na just 0.62% of GDP and 4.1% of total government spending, wey be about $14 per person. Nigeria still get one of the worst health records for the world life expectancy na 54 years, maternal death pass 1,000 per 100,000 births, and under-five death na 114 per 1,000.
Six out of Nigeria top ten causes of death na infectious diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and diarrhoea. Most primary health centres no get enough equipment or staff, and people no fit get basic services.
Tibiebi talk say even though World Bank dey try help with loans, the impact still slow because dem never release the money well and progress dey drag.
He explain say only 16% of the loans wey dem approve, $775m out of $4.95bn don reach ground as of July 31, 2024. This one don make people worry say the projects dey move slow. Nigeria public health system still weak, with big gaps for disease tracking, emergency response, and logistics.
But he talk say some projects dey show hope, like the Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Programme (HOPE-PHC), wey wan help 40 million Nigerians, especially for places wey people no dey get enough care.
He beg government make dem focus on quick action, train and build capacity for healthcare workers, especially for primary health level, make dem strengthen how things dey run, promote transparency, and work with local communities to teach people about health services and how to use am.
