A civil society coalition, the Coalition of Concerned Nigerians on Health Reform, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector and remove the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, accusing him of failing to address the country’s worsening healthcare crisis. The group passed a vote of no confidence in the minister, insisting it no longer believed he was capable of providing the leadership needed to rescue the ailing sector.

In a statement titled “Enough Is Enough: Declare a State of Emergency in Nigeria’s Health Sector Now,” the coalition’s coordinator, Muniretu Isa, said the healthcare system had reached a point where routine policy interventions could no longer address its problems.

He said millions of Nigerians continue to bear the consequences of the sector’s decline through delayed treatment, avoidable deaths and reduced access to quality care, and urged the President to take immediate presidential action to reverse the trend.

The coalition attributed much of the crisis to the continued exodus of doctors and other healthcare professionals abroad, which it said has left hospitals critically understaffed, leading to long waiting times, delayed emergency care and limited access to specialists, particularly in rural areas where primary healthcare centres often lack personnel, medicines and basic equipment.

It also pointed to recurring labour disputes within the sector, blaming poor remuneration, unpaid allowances, delayed salaries, inadequate recruitment and outdated medical infrastructure, alongside what it described as government’s failure to fully implement agreements reached with health sector unions.

The group warned that repeated strikes and the constant threat of industrial action are pushing Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system closer to collapse, and reiterated its demand that Tinubu act decisively, including removing Pate from office, to prevent further deterioration. The call adds to a growing chorus of similar appeals from medical associations and professional bodies in recent years urging federal intervention in the sector.

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