USAID: Nigeria's First Lady Challenges African Leaders to Move Beyond Aid Dependency
- Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, urged African nations to adopt sustainable health financing at the AU Summit
- She emphasized reducing reliance on foreign aid by developing innovative, homegrown funding solutions for healthcare
- Leaders agreed on increasing national health budgets, expanding insurance coverage, and ensuring accountability in spending
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Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for sustainable health financing in Africa to drive economic growth and social stability.
Speaking at the High-Level Meeting on Domestic Health Financing in Africa, organized by Rwandan President Paul Kagame on the sidelines of the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, she emphasized the need for efficient resource mobilization to ensure access to essential healthcare services for millions across the continent.
Source: Twitter
Relying on the US is unpredictable - Senator Tinubu
Senator Tinubu stressed that Africa's progress depends on the health of its people and warned against relying solely on foreign aid and donor funding, which she described as unpredictable and unsustainable.
She urged African nations to adopt innovative financing strategies tailored to their unique challenges, emphasizing the importance of developing homegrown solutions to bridge funding gaps, particularly in light of recent policy changes in the United States.
Sharing Nigeria's perspective, Tinubu advocated for a healthcare system that guarantees access to quality services without imposing financial burdens on citizens.
She highlighted the critical role that African governments must play by increasing national health budgets and aligning with the Abuja Declaration, which recommends allocating at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector.
“As the Global and National Stop TB champion, I see firsthand the potential for First Ladies to leverage their influence to mobilize resources for health from governments, the private sector, and donor agencies,” she stated.
Tinubu called for enhanced accountability and transparency in the use of health funds, stressing that every dollar allocated must be spent effectively and efficiently.
First lady pushed for new funding system
The First Lady also proposed innovative financing mechanisms, including expanding health insurance coverage, establishing health endowment funds, and encouraging investments from the African diaspora.
She argued that these models would provide more reliable and sustainable funding for healthcare systems across the continent.
The meeting brought together Presidents and Heads of State from Rwanda, Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Barbados, donor agencies, and international funding partners.
Discussions focused on domestic health financing and its contribution to global health goals. The leaders agreed on the need for Africa to invest in local research, healthcare technology, improved medical personnel, and sustainable funding to enhance productivity and prosperity.
The High-Level Meeting concluded with a unified call for African nations to look inward for health financing solutions to achieve self-sufficiency and build resilient healthcare systems.
Oluremi Tinubu celebrates Nigeria’s first baby
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, marked the arrival of the first baby of 2025 with a symbolic celebration at Asokoro General Hospital, Abuja.
Represented by Hajia Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President, the First Lady extended her goodwill to Baby Chioma Odion Oyigbo, born at 12:27 a.m., weighing 3.6 kilograms.
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Source: Legit.ng
