Nigeria's Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, has identified a deepening trust deficit as a major barrier to effective healthcare delivery in the country. Speaking through his Special Adviser, Dr Ogbe Oritseweyinmi, at the launch of the book Trust Renewal: The Integrity Call for Better Health, themed "Better Health Begins with Trust", Pate said rebuilding public confidence is central to the Federal Government's health reforms initiated in 2023. He cited the signing of a health compact with state governors and the launch of the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which promotes "one budget, one plan, one conversation, and one report" to replace fragmented projects with coordinated, accountable systems. Pate noted that citizens' trust is shaped by their direct experiences in health facilities, stating, "It is the actions that people perceive and receive when they attend the health system, or the failure of those actions, that determine the level of trust." Progress includes a 21 per cent reduction in maternal mortality in targeted areas, the revitalisation of over 2,500 primary healthcare centres, and the recruitment of more than 78,000 health workers. Millions are now covered under the Basic Health Provision Fund, with improved access to emergency care and essential medicines. Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, said accountability in healthcare is non-negotiable, stating, "Healthcare is about saving lives. It's either you save lives or you don't." She urged the use of patient feedback as a strategic reform tool, calling for strong governance, transparency, and ethical practice, especially for vulnerable groups. Dr Abdullahi Jibril Mohammed, author of the book, said findings were drawn from nearly four decades of experience and structured patient feedback, revealing rights violations, weak complaint systems, and ethical lapses. He warned of rising medical tourism under distress conditions and urged the book to spark a national movement, not remain symbolic.
The health minister cites a trust deficit while relying on proxies to deliver his message, undermining the very transparency he advocates. If trust is foundational, then the absence of the minister at an event meant to restore it sends a contradictory signal to Nigerians already sceptical of official sincerity. Citizens are told their feedback matters, yet the leadership does not show up to receive it directly. The 21 per cent drop in maternal mortality and 78,000 new health workers mean little if the system's top officials remain distant from public engagement.
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