Health leaders to tackle Nigeria’s policy implementation gap at October conference

Nigeria’s health leaders will gather in Abuja in October to confront a familiar problem: policies exist, but their impact often weakens before reaching the people and communities they are meant to serve.

The 2026 National Health Equity Conference will take place from October 13 to 15 at the Nigeria National Merit Award House in Maitama. Organised by OneBarrow International Limited, the meeting will focus on the theme, “From Policy to Impact: Care Coordination as the Core Engine of Health Equity.”

The conference is expected to bring together policymakers, legislators, healthcare regulators, development partners, professional bodies, practitioners, civil society organisations, patient and community groups, academics and private-sector representatives. Health Minister Muhammad Pate is listed as chief host. Amos Magaji, chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, and Education Minister Tunji Alausa are expected to attend as special guests of honour.

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Nigeria has developed important health policies and frameworks, but the real test is what happens when those policies reach the people and communities they are designed to serve.

Yemi Ajao, chief executive of OneBarrow International, said the meeting would focus on translating existing policies and frameworks into action across federal, state and local government levels. “Nigeria has developed important health policies and frameworks, but the real test is what happens when those policies reach the people and communities they are designed to serve,” he said.

Ajao said doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, health administrators and other professionals each had a complementary role in a system that patients experience as a whole. He pointed to stronger referral systems, communication and accountability as priorities for reducing fragmentation. The organisers also plan to examine digital feedback systems, access to health information, transparency and public awareness of patients’ rights.

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Every healthcare cadre has a unique and complementary role to play. The patient experiences the health system as one system, regardless of how many professionals or institutions are involved in their care.