Nigeria Moves to Strengthen Health Research Sovereignty Amid Global Aid Decline

Ayodeji Ake

As Nigeria is moving towards greater national ownership of health-financing research as declining global development assistance, economic pressures and geopolitical shifts reshape the global health landscape.

The move signals a transition from a largely donor-driven research model towards research sovereignty, where Nigeria defines its policy questions, commissions context-specific studies, manages health economics data and integrates research findings directly into policy implementation.

The development was a key focus of the inaugural Nigeria Health Financing Research and Learning Forum, organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation, Nigeria Health Watch and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.

The forum brought together policymakers, development partners, State Social Health Insurance Agencies, researchers and other stakeholders to examine how evidence and learning can strengthen Nigeria’s health-financing system.

The initiative builds on the momentum of the 2025 National Health Financing Policy Dialogue and the broader global shift in development support often described as the Accra Reset.

Stakeholders stressed that research sovereignty does not mean Nigeria withdrawing from international partnerships or funding. Rather, international support should complement domestic investment while Nigeria remains in the driver’s seat of its health-financing research agenda.

Speaking at the forum, NHIA Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, said the gathering was not merely an academic exercise but was directly connected to the operational and policy reforms underway at the authority.

He said evidence must guide reforms, improve implementation and strengthen accountability.

“Every reform we undertake, from tariff adjustments to digital verification, requires rigorous, locally generated evidence to tell us what is working, what needs refinement and where gaps remain,” Ohiri said.

He challenged policymakers, researchers, development partners and state-level implementers to engage openly with the research agenda and translate discussions into concrete actions.

“Let us scrutinise the five commissioned studies, refine our national research priorities, analyse implementation research approaches and leave this venue with concrete, time-bound commitments,” he added.

The forum also highlighted the need for Nigeria to strengthen its capacity to generate and manage health economics data.

Participants noted that locally generated evidence can help policymakers better understand the country’s specific health-financing challenges and assess whether reforms are improving access, financial protection and healthcare outcomes.

The organisers said the forum is expected to strengthen a culture of evidence-led health financing by connecting researchers more closely with policymakers and implementers.

The broader objective is to ensure that Nigeria can generate the knowledge it needs, develop the expertise to interpret evidence and translate research findings into decisions that improve access to quality healthcare.

As international development priorities evolve, stakeholders say stronger domestic research capacity will be essential to sustaining Nigeria’s health-financing reforms and building a more locally led, accountable and resilient health system.