By Sola Ogundipe
Health advocates have called on Nigeria to strengthen domestic financing for healthcare, warning that continued dependence on foreign donors could leave millions of Nigerians without access to lifesaving services if external funding continues to shrink.
The warning came during the quartely review meeting of the Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (LASAM), where government officials, civil society groups and development partners examined progress in expanding routine immunisation under the the Better Opportunity to Optimize Routine Immunization for Zero-Dose and Under-Immunised Children (BOOST) Project in Lagos state.
Speaking at the forum, the Advocacy Coordinator for Save the Children International, Nigeria, on the BOOST Project, Dr. Itunu Dave-Agboola, said recent global funding uncertainties have exposed the vulnerability of Nigeria’s health system and underscored the need to mobilise more domestic resources.
“If foreign aid were to stop today, can we sustain the health of our people? That is the question we must answer,” she said.
Dave-Agboola said donor agencies have played a critical role in financing maternal and child health services and other essential interventions for decades. However, she said recent disruptions to international development assistance demonstrate why Nigeria can no longer rely primarily on external funding, saying routine immunisation is one of the areas most vulnerable to funding shocks.
“Gavi has contributed immensely to vaccine procurement and logistics. We have to ask ourselves whether routine immunisation can survive if that support is reduced or withdrawn. That is why domestic resource mobilisation is no longer optional. It is essential,” she said.
Dave-Agboola said evidence-based advocacy has become an effective tool for securing commitments from decision-makers because it presents clear data on funding gaps and implementation challenges.
She expressed concern that although the 2026 health budget had been approved, releases had yet to commence, making it impossible to assess implementation.
“When funds are not released, programmes suffer. You cannot talk about effective utilisation when there is nothing to utilise,” she said.
The BOOST Project targets zero-dose children, those who have never received a single vaccine, and under-immunised children who began vaccination but failed to complete the recommended schedule. The programme is currently being implemented in Alimosho and Ikorodu Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
Beyond expanding immunisation coverage, the project is also supporting advocacy efforts aimed at increasing government investment in primary healthcare.
Also speaking, the chairperson of the LASAM’s Advocacy Subcommittee, Mrs Shola Hassan, said the organisation has intensified engagements with political office holders and local government authorities to improve support for primary healthcare.
She said recent advocacy visits focused not only on routine immunisation but also on the rehabilitation of dilapidated primary healthcare centres and improving welfare for community volunteers who conduct house-to-house immunisation campaigns.
According to her, poor remuneration of frontline volunteers affects motivation and can compromise data quality, making stronger government support essential.
She disclosed that the Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government pledged to engage chairmen of the area’s six Local Council Development Areas after receiving the group’s recommendations.
