Revista Internacional de Economia e Ciências de Gestão

Needs for Restructuring the Health Sector Financing in Nigeria: An Exploratory Comparative Study

Abstract

Popoola Oladayo Timothy

Evidence reveals that health outcomes of all nations have improved dramatically globally during the 21st century; however, enormous disparities still exist between Nigeria and other developing countries. For instance, Nigeria has the third highest infant mortality rate in the world after India and Pakistan; while in every single day, Nigeria loses an estimated of 2,300 under-five year olds children which also makes her the second largest contributor to under-five mortality rates worldwide after Republic of Chad. Therefore, this study present exploratory comparative analysis on health sector financing across countries in Africa with emphasize on Nigeria. The trend analysis of the study reveals that the direction of governments’ priorities and commitments in terms of health spending and resources devoted to health sectors have led to the glaring disparities in health indicators (life expectancy, infant and under-five mortality rates) with Nigeria lagging behind. The findings of the study further suggest that Nigeria needs to strengthen efforts towards improving health status of her citizens through restructuring her health sector.