TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FINANCING OF CRITICAL BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Reliable and dependable infrastructure is always at the heart of economic growth and sectoral development. The Covid – 19 pandemic has underscored the need for a resilient health system and the shortcomings of Nigeria’s health sector. To date, the Nigerian health the sector is characterised by inefficiencies and low government spending. In its road to economic recovery, Nigeria adopted a sustainable and inclusive approach. Its strategy identified health as a priority sector. No doubt, it had been undergoing reforms with few milestones to celebrate, such as eradication of polio. On the other hand, malaria, maternal and infant mortality persist. Viewing good health as enhancer of productivity and growth may have influenced the government’s decisions. Given the financing constraint within which the health system’s transformation is expected to occur, this paper explores and analysis Nigeria’s sustainable financing of critical basic infrastructure such as power, road, transportation and water for the healthcare sector. The paper identified that Nigeria struggles with funding challenges that exasperates the country’s infrastructure deficit which the traditional financing approach cannot address given the paucity of funds. It explores financing potentials of the Nigerian Economic and Sustainability Plan 2020and the National Development Plan 2021 – 2025; and recommend possible financing options to address the critical infrastructure deficit in the healthcare sector.