Nigeria, Aug. 23 -- Background

The Nigerian healthcare service delivery industry holds immense potential but remains underdeveloped, underutilised, inadequately resourced, and overstretched. Despite a rapidly growing population, demand for medical services continues to outpace supply. The system suffers from outdated equipment, weak infrastructure, and a dangerously high patient-to-doctor ratio of 1:5,000, far above the WHO recommendation of 1:600. Insurance coverage is alarmingly low, with fewer than 5 per cent of Nigerians enrolled, forcing over 70 per cent of health expenditure to be paid out-of-pocket.

These weaknesses fuel poor access to care, medical brain drain, with over 2,000 doctors emigrating annually, and rising medical tour...