Your Excellency,
Distinguished Traditional Rulers,
Reverend Fathers and Faith Leaders,
Development Partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We gather today at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health 2026 not for a routine administrative exercise, but for something far deeper. Health reform in Nigeria is not merely a technical undertaking. It is a moral responsibility. It is a social responsibility. It is a collective responsibility.
Nigeria continues to confront serious health challenges: maternal mortality, outbreaks of preventable diseases, gaps in routine immunization, malnutrition, and uneven access to quality primary health care. Yet we know these challenges are not explained by infrastructure and personnel gaps alone.
They are shaped by trust.
They are shaped by belief.
They are shaped by culture.
They are shaped by community accountability.
That is why this Summit, and its call to action in crowning the Compact, is so important.
As traditional and religious leaders, you occupy a sacred space of trust in our society. You hold trust capital. You speak into the hearts of our people every day and every week. You preside over rites of passage. You guide conscience. You help interpret public policy through the lens of faith and culture, making national commitments meaningful within communities.
For that reason, you cannot stand at the margins of health reform. You must stand at its very center.
The Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Health Sector Renewal Compact represent structured and deliberate efforts to reposition our health system toward Universal Health Coverage by 2030. Achieving UHC by 2030 will not be secured by infrastructure alone. It will be secured when prevention, early care seeking, immunization, maternal health, and insurance enrolment become reinforced as shared responsibilities within communities.
But policies signed at the national level must be translated into informed decisions at the household level.
The mother’s decision to attend antenatal clinic.
The father’s consent for immunization.
A community’s willingness to report an outbreak early.
A family’s commitment to nutrition and preventive care.
Translation happens in villages and cities. It happens in Friday khutbahs and Sunday altars. It happens in palace councils and community gatherings. It happens wherever leaders speak and people listen.
These decisions are influenced by the voices people trust. In many of our communities, those voices are yours.
We have seen the power of this partnership before.
Nigeria’s certification as wild polio free in 2020 was not achieved by government alone. It was achieved through collaboration, through the engagement of traditional rulers, faith leaders, and community influencers who countered misinformation, addressed resistance, and mobilized their people.
That experience provides a clear precedent for what is possible when social leadership aligns with public policy.
Today, as we guard against circulating variant poliovirus and other public health threats, we must extend that same model beyond immunization to maternal health, nutrition, disease prevention, outbreak preparedness, and strengthened utilization of primary health care services.
Earlier today, Her Excellency, the First Lady, spoke about the National Community Food Bank Programme and her commitment to ensuring that food reaches those who truly need it. The programme is being established across all 774 Local Government Areas and linked to primary health care platforms to reach vulnerable children under six years of age, pregnant and lactating women, and households most at risk. Ensuring that resources reach the intended beneficiaries at community level requires integrity, transparency, and local oversight.
Distribution must be equitable. Accountability must not remain at the national level alone. It must be reinforced and enforced within communities.
This is where your leadership becomes indispensable.
We must collectively promote accurate health information and counter harmful misinformation. We must encourage early health seeking behaviour and immunization uptake. We must support maternal and child health initiatives. We must partner with government and health agencies in community mobilization. We must provide platforms for dialogue, accountability, and feedback between communities and health authorities.
Beyond today, we must ensure structured follow up. The resolutions and commitments made at this Summit must cascade through established leadership platforms across congregations, traditional councils, community associations, state institutions, inter state councils, and faith networks, so that this gathering becomes not a one day event but a sustained movement.
Let this Summit send a unified national message.
Health reform is not government business alone. It is a shared covenant between government, traditional institutions, faith communities, development partners, and citizens. Universal Health Coverage by 2030 is therefore not only a policy objective. It is a moral and cultural mandate that must be owned by the nation.
On behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, I pledge our continued partnership in advancing the national health agenda and ensuring that the commitments made here translate into action across congregations and communities.
Together, with sincerity of purpose and unity of action, we can build a healthier Nigeria. A Nigeria where every child lives. A Nigeria where every mother thrives. A Nigeria where every community is informed, empowered, and protected.
Thank you very much.
