Nigeria needs fund for primary healthcare investment

samiThe House of Representatives has called for the establishment of a risk-sharing fund to attract private investment into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, citing weak revenue certainty and regulatory bottlenecks as major obstacles to investment. The Chairman of the House Committee on Health Care Services/Establishments, Dr Amos Mogaji, made the call during a pre-summit dialogue organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. The NESG disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday after the virtual dialogue themed, “Powering PHC to UHC: Unlocking Private Sector Partnership.” Mogaji said private investors in primary healthcare faced several constraints, including fragmented regulation, cumbersome government processes and weaknesses in contracting and procurement. He noted that investors needed greater certainty over the risks they would assume, their responsibilities and the expected outcomes before committing capital to primary healthcare projects.