NHIA Leads Health Financing Forum to Boost Local Research

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) convened the inaugural Nigeria Health Financing Research & Learning Forum in Abuja from September 28 to 29. This two-day event aims to strengthen locally generated evidence for health financing decisions.

The forum, themed “Evidence and Learning for Nigeria’s Health Financing Future: Building a Locally Led Research and Learning Ecosystem,” gathers policymakers, researchers, healthcare practitioners, and development partners to explore how local evidence can shape health financing policies and improve healthcare outcomes. The NHIA is focusing on institutionalizing evidence-based decision-making, highlighted by the establishment of its Strategic Purchasing Department and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Division in 2025.

The NHIA has developed HTA tools, conducted local studies, and performed pilot assessments on various health services. The forum aims to enhance Nigeria's capacity to define health financing research priorities and improve resource allocation, ultimately benefiting patients through better healthcare services.