The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Muhammad Ali Pate has called for collaborative efforts towards achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030, reiterating that health reform is not government business alone.
He made the call at National Traditonal and Religious Leaders’ Summit on Health 2026, in his remarks at the event held at Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
“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.” He emphasized.
The Coordinating Minister said 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, noting that these challenges are not explained by infrastructure and personnel gaps alone, but are shaped by trust, belief, culture and community accountability.
He added that”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.
He noted that achieving UHC by 2030 will not be secured by infrastructure alone, but when prevention, early care seeking, immunization, maternal health, and insurance enrolment become reinforced as shared responsibilities within communities, and these must be translated into informed decisions at the household level.
Reiterating their significant role, Pate said “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.”
Professor Muhammad Ali Pate charged Traditional and Religious Leaders to ensure equitable distribution of resources under the National Community Food Bank Programme of Her Excellency, Oluremi Tinubu which is being established across 774 LGAs and linked with Primary Health care platform aimed at providing food to most vulnerable in communities.
“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.”
At the end of the summit, the Coordinating Minister presented the summary of deliberations, Commitments and Federal Government Statement as thus:
This is a shared national undertaking.
In summarizing the outcomes of this Summit, I present the proposed 2026 Aso Rock Declaration on Health.
We, the participants at the first National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, convened at the State House Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on 17 February 2026 at the invitation of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having deliberated on the state of Nigeria’s health sector and our collective responsibilities as leaders of our communities, hereby declare as follows:
Whereas His Excellency unveiled the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative on 12 December 2023, following the signing of the Health Sector Compact, and subsequently the expanded Compact in 2025,demonstrating sustained political commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage;
Whereas measurable progress is being recorded in key health indicators, while recognizing that sustained and accelerated effort remains necessary, particularly in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition;
We therefore:
Commend the Federal and State Governments for implementing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and strengthening the Health Sector Compact.
Affirm the indispensable role of traditional and religious leaders and institutions in advancing health reform and national development.
Commit to actively support and promote access to essential health services within our communities, including immunization; prevention and treatment of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria; maternal and newborn care; emergency obstetric services; and nutrition interventions, including support for the National Community Food Bank Programme.
Welcome and pledge robust support for frontline health workers and the National Health Fellows deployed to communities, ensuring their integration and effectiveness.
Advocate for the upgrading and accreditation of primary health care facilities and commit to supporting community-level demand generation and monitoring of service quality.
Encourage multisectoral action addressing the social determinants of health, including nutrition, clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and the education of the girl child.
Support the integration of accredited civil society and faith-based health facilities into local health systems and referral networks to expand equitable access to quality care without exclusion.
Commit to fostering community participation in public health security by strengthening disease surveillance, promoting preventive measures, and mobilizing rapid and effective outbreak response.
Encourage expanded participation in health insurance schemes to mobilize sustainable domestic financing for health.
Promote climate-resilient health practices and environmentally sustainable health facilities prepared for the health impacts of climate change.
Call upon the Federal Government to designate a dedicated liaison officer within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to coordinate structured and sustained engagement with traditional and religious leaders nationally, building upon existing platforms including the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee, which has operated for seventeen years.
Recommend that the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health be convened annually to review progress, renew commitments, and sustain momentum.
Your Excellency, this Declaration captures the substance of our dialogue and the commitments expressed by leaders present today.
We reaffirm our collective commitment to the health and well-being of the Nigerian people and pledge to work in close partnership with all levels of government and stakeholders to build a healthier and more prosperous nation in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
I am honoured to formally present the 2025 State of the Health of the Nation Report.
Thank you, Your Excellency.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director Information and Public Relations
18/2/2026.
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