Nigeria’s Health Policies Under Spotlight as OneBarrow Sets Abuja Conference

Maryam Aminu

Nigeria’s healthcare system has no shortage of policies, but the real challenge remains getting those policies to work effectively for the people they were designed to serve.

That implementation gap will be a major focus in Abuja in October, when health leaders, policymakers, professionals and other stakeholders gather for the 2026 National Health Equity Conference organised by OneBarrow International Limited.

The three-day conference will hold from October 13 to 15 at the Nigeria National Merit Award House, Maitama, Abuja, under the theme, “From Policy to Impact: Care Coordination as the Core Engine of Health Equity.”

The organisers are bringing together stakeholders from across the health sector and beyond to examine why good policies often struggle to translate into consistent and accessible healthcare services, and what can be done differently.

Expected participants include policymakers, legislators, healthcare regulators, development partners, professional bodies, healthcare practitioners, private-sector leaders, civil society organisations, patient and community groups, academics and other stakeholders.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, will serve as Chief Host.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji, and the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, are expected as Special Guests of Honour.

For OneBarrow’s Chief Executive Officer, Yemi Ajao, the country’s health challenge is not simply about creating more policies.

He believes greater attention must be paid to what happens after those policies have been approved and how they affect patients and communities.

“Nigeria has developed important health policies and frameworks, but the real test is what happens when those policies reach the people and communities they are designed to serve,” Ajao said.

He said the conference would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to have practical conversations about implementation, coordination and accountability rather than focusing solely on policy formulation.

Ajao explained that a patient’s journey through the healthcare system often involves different professionals and institutions, making cooperation between them essential.

A patient may, for instance, move from a primary healthcare facility to a specialist hospital and interact with several healthcare professionals along the way.

Where communication and referral systems are weak, he said, the patient can bear the consequences.

“Every healthcare cadre has a unique and complementary role to play. The patient experiences the health system as one system, regardless of how many professionals or institutions are involved in their care,” he said.

He said stronger coordination among doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, health administrators and other professionals could help reduce fragmentation and improve continuity of care.

The organisers said poor coordination within the health system can have a greater impact on people who already struggle to access healthcare, particularly underserved communities and populations facing barriers to navigating available services.

The conference will therefore examine how better coordination can help improve both access to healthcare and the quality of services available to vulnerable populations.

According to the organisers, digital feedback systems, greater transparency, access to information and improved awareness of patients’ rights could give citizens a stronger voice in the healthcare system.

Ajao said citizens should not be left out of conversations about the quality of healthcare they receive.

“Citizens must understand their rights, have meaningful channels to provide feedback and be empowered to participate in conversations about the quality of care they receive,” he said.

He added that feedback from patients and communities could help policymakers and healthcare providers identify gaps and respond more effectively to the needs of the people.

OneBarrow said it wants the discussions to go beyond the usual conference cycle of speeches, photographs and recommendations that may not translate into action.

According to the organisation, participants will work towards developing practical recommendations, with a post-conference communiqué and implementation roadmap expected at the end of the event.

The roadmap is intended to capture key commitments, identify areas for follow-up and support implementation across the federal, state and local government levels.

The organisation said the ultimate goal was to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and help ensure that health policies produce measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.

OneBarrow International Limited is a health equity, CSR and ESG-driven organisation focused on healthcare and operational systems through innovation, strategic partnerships, policy engagement and integrated care solutions.

It works with governments, healthcare institutions, development partners, private-sector organisations and communities on healthcare access, capacity building, accountability and sustainable health outcomes.