Development Governance International (DGI) Consult is glad to be a founding member of the UHC 2023 Forum – an apolitical and locally-led initiative committed to putting health on the political front burner in Nigeria. Considering that commencement of UHC journey is usually preceded by a political decision to set a country on the trajectory of UHC, the Forum convened the UHC Summit to kick-start the process of generating a political consensus for UHC in the country. The UHC Summit with the central theme “Putting Health and Health Security on the Political Front Burner” was convened in collaboration with the Chatham House UK and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on the 16th December 2021 at Shehu Umar Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja.
Through presentations, as well as panels, and plenary discussions, pressing health policy and financing issues in Nigeria were discussed and strategies for leveraging election seasons to place health on the political front burner to accord health the appropriate political attention towards achieving UHC in Nigeria were recommended. The sessions also stimulated commitments from the various stakeholder groups on their roles in creating a political health agenda for Nigeria.
Subsequently, the UHC 2023 forum will develop a roadmap towards putting UHC on the political front burner, articulate a robust and evidence-based health agenda as a generic ‘heath manifesto’ to be presented to all political parties in Nigeria and effectively engage the political gladiators at the national and state level ahead of the next general elections.
