News

NUAHP Decries Marginalisation, Poor Funding, Insecurity, Demands Inclusion On Top Health Leadership Roles

BySodiq Lawal

PublishedJuly 18, 2025

The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has lamented the persistent marginalisation of allied health workers in Nigeria’s health system, decrying poor funding, infrastructural deficits, worsening insecurity and the exclusion of its members from critical leadership positions at all levels of governance.

This position was made known in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day South-West Zonal Leadership Conference of the Union held between June 25 and 26, 2025, at the Olukemi Olunfunke Kolawole Lake Resort, inside Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, Osun State.

The communiqué was signed by Comrade Muyiwa Moronkeji, Zonal Coordinator and Comrade Emmanuel Ogunbanwo, Chairman of the Zonal Planning Committee.

With the theme, “Nigerian Health Care System: The Politics, Policies, and Practice,” the conference brought together stakeholders, veteran labour leaders, healthcare experts and policymakers from across the six South-Western states.

The participants carried out a comprehensive review of the nation’s healthcare system, highlighting critical gaps in funding, workforce planning, infrastructure and inclusiveness.

The Union, while appraising the current state of the nation’s healthcare, noted with dismay that Nigeria’s annual health budget allocation remains below the 15 per cent benchmark recommended by the World Health Organisation, leaving the sector grossly underfunded and many citizens exposed to catastrophic health expenditures.

It also condemned the worsening security situation across the country, which it said had complicated healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and conflict-prone areas. The communique stressed that health workers in volatile regions face threats to their lives, while access to basic healthcare remains limited for millions of Nigerians.

NUAHP expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as a “unitary and exclusionary leadership structure,” where physicians are exclusively appointed as Ministers of Health, Chief Medical Directors, and heads of healthcare institutions at both state and federal levels. It called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint an allied health professional as the next Minister of Health and Social Welfare, in the spirit of fairness and inclusiveness.

“The current policy of reserving all top leadership roles in the health sector for one professional group contradicts global best practices and undermines the contributions of other critical professionals,” the communiqué reads in part.

Furthermore, the union called for the involvement of allied health professionals in health policy formulation and implementation, noting that such inclusion would strengthen service delivery and foster a more robust health system.

Among other resolutions, the Union demanded better remuneration and welfare packages for allied health workers to stem the tide of brain drain, as well as massive investment in healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

The conference appreciated the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, for providing the enabling environment for the successful hosting of the event.

It also recognised the presence of dignitaries, including Comrade Alhaji Prince Oyetunji Tajudeen, Mr Samuel Ayanleye Aina (represented by Dr. Abayomi Oni), Barrister Jola Akintola (represented by Mrs Oni Hellen), Bashorun Abass Lawal, and other stakeholders from the zone.

Sodiq Lawal

Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.