Nigeria is widely recognized as contributing a major proportion of the global burden of diseases. The majority of her population reside in the rural areas and belong to the informal workforce that is largely untouched by government’s National Health Insurance Scheme, leaving universal health coverage for Nigeria’s citizens a dream still far from realization. Nigeria’s health sector is thus plagued with myriad inequities and inefficiencies, leaving many individuals and families impoverished by catastrophic health expenditures out of their pockets. A well-thought-out strategy for the implementation of universal health coverage utilizing increased government expenditure, strengthened legislation, innovative financing mechanisms, recruitment, training and support of community health workers, community-based financing schemes, and private sector engagement is therefore necessary.

universal health coverage, healthcare financing, national health insurance scheme, prepayment, Nigeria