Health
Nigeria @66: Tinubu promises stronger primary healthcare for poor Nigerians
Janet Ogundepo
President Bola Tinubu has promised to strengthen primary healthcare services for poor and vulnerable Nigerians as part of his administration’s plan to improve living conditions across the country.
The President made the commitment in his Independence Day address to Nigerians on Thursday, where he acknowledged that millions of families still struggle to pay for medical care, among other basic needs.
Tinubu said his administration would work with state and local governments to strengthen primary healthcare, basic education and other essential public services on which poorer Nigerians depend.
He said, “That is why, working with our states and local governments, we will continue to strengthen primary healthcare, basic education, and the essential public services poorer Nigerians depend on most.”
The President noted that some Nigerian families were still struggling to meet their immediate needs, including paying medical bills, saying their difficulties were the accumulated consequence of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunity and weak institutions.
“Some Nigerian families still struggle today for the next meal, the next school fee, the next medical bill, or simply enough money to get to work,” he said.
Tinubu said the government was strengthening direct support for the poorest households and improving the National Social Register to ensure that assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.
He added that government programmes were intended to serve as a bridge for vulnerable Nigerians while the country works towards broader prosperity.
The President’s latest pledge comes against the backdrop of ongoing government efforts to expand healthcare infrastructure and access.
In May 2026, the State House said nearly 3,000 primary healthcare centres had been revitalised under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, alongside the revitalisation of 1,602 Level 1 and 1,360 Level 2 health facilities.
The administration had also previously said that thousands of primary healthcare centres were being revitalised and that health insurance coverage was being expanded for vulnerable Nigerians.
In his Independence Day address, Tinubu said the government’s objective was not merely to manage poverty but to eliminate it, while acknowledging that achieving this would take time and sustained economic growth.
He said, “It will take time. It will require discipline. It will require sustained growth year after year and the creation of millions of productive opportunities across our country.”
The President said the government would continue to pursue policies aimed at reducing the cost of living and ensuring that vulnerable Nigerians were not abandoned while the country pursued wider economic prosperity.
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