[SPECIAL REPORT]
The healthcare sector in Nigeria is as broad and complex
as it includes primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare. The
Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has set a
goal of facilitating private sector investment in the healthcare
space by establishing public-private partnerships.
The Nigerian healthcare market is large and diverse.
Its value chain comprises of manufacturers, health service
providers, medical insurance, retailers, distributors, health
financing entities, and medical education providers. There
is a need for investment in all these areas but there has been
a concentration of investment in multispecialty hospitals,
niche healthcare providers, standalone diagnostic facilities
and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).
As most investors prefer the high financial returns
of specialty hospitals and diagnostic facilities, primary
healthcare in Nigeria has not seen high levels of investment.
Investment in primary healthcare provision can create
immense value for both providers and benefi ciaries if it can
leverage on a large enough population and an associated
network of diagnostic capabilities and specialist input.
There is an opportunity in the Nigerian healthcare system
to overhaul outdated healthcare technology, as the defi ciency
of infrastructure means there are no vested interests or high
costs of implementing new technology.
A myriad of investment opportunities exists across the
healthcare value chain in Nigeria. Investors interested in
taking advantage of these opportunities will benefi t from
taking a long term view of the market and keeping in
consideration the dynamics of healthcare investment in
developing nations.
The Primary Healthcare Plan
In August 1987, the federal government launched its
primary health care plan with the following major objectives:
1. Improve collection and monitoring of health data
2. Improve personnel development in the healthcare
3. Ensure the provision of essential drug availability
4. Improve on immunization programs
5. Promote the treatment of epidemic diseases
6. Improve food supply and nutrition
IN NIGERIAN
H C A R E
The Nigerian Healthcare
System is that it has
freely covered children
under the age of 5 and
the disabled. This is a
milestone that the system
has achieved.
India-Nigeria • 2018 • 37