Nigerians Worry About Access to Medical Care Amid Widespread Lack of Health Insurance

4 September 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Caroline Nakayiza and Raphael Mbaegbu

Majority of citizens say the government should ensure universal access to health care, even if it means higher taxes.

Key findings

  • Only 7% of Nigerians say they have medical-aid coverage, leaving more than nine in 10 citizens uninsured.
  • o Among those who don't have health insurance, the most common reasons are that they are not aware of any available insurance plans (43%) or that they can't afford it (24%).
  • Nine out of 10 Nigerians (91%) say they worry at least "a little" about being unable to obtain or afford medical care, including almost half (47%) who say they worry "a lot."
  • Almost two-thirds (64%) of citizens say the government should ensure universal access to health care, even if it means higher taxes.
  • Among respondents who had contact with a public clinic or hospital during the year preceding the survey, only 45% found it easy to obtain the services they needed, and 26% say they had to pay a bribe.
  • Most citizens who sought services at a public health facility report encountering problems, including a lack of medicines or supplies (83%), long wait times (83%), unaffordable care (82%), facilities in poor conditions (79%), and absent medical staff (77%).
  • The share of Nigerians who say that they or a family member went without medicine or medical treatment at least once during the preceding year has almost doubled over the past decade, from 43% in 2015 to 82%.
  • A large majority (81%) of citizens say the government is doing a poor job of improving basic health services.
  • Only about one-third (36%) of respondents say they trust the Federal Ministry of Health "somewhat" or "a lot."
  • On a related issue, more than eight in10 Nigerians (82%) say parents should be required to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases such as measles and polio.

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In recent years, Nigeria has implemented several reforms intended to strengthen primary health care and expand health-insurance coverage. One milestone was the enactment of the National Health Insurance Authority Act in 2022 (Onyekpere, 2025), which strengthened regulation of health insurance as a step toward universal health coverage. Complementary efforts include the establishment or strengthening of key institutions and initiatives, including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System, and the National Emergency Management Agency.

The government's commitment is also reflected in increased budgetary allocations to the health sector, which rose from ₦1.33 trillion in 2024 to ₦2.48 trillion in 2025, though still well below 5% of the national budget (Adejoro, 2025)

Despite recent efforts to strengthen Nigeria's health system, many citizens continue to face significant barriers to accessing affordable and quality care. Health-insurance coverage remains low (Soaga, 2024), and households bear a heavy financial burden through out-of pocket payments for health services (Federal Ministry of Finance, 2025).

The country also faces major shortages and uneven distribution of health workers. Government estimates indicate that Nigeria has roughly one doctor for every 5,000 people and one nurse for every 2,000 people (Jimoh, 2026), well below World Health Organization recommendations. Moreover, about 75% of health workers are concentrated in urban areas, leaving many rural communities with limited access to essential health services (Federal Ministry of Finance, 2025; World Health Organization, 2026).

Recent Afrobarometer survey findings show that fewer than one in 10 Nigerians have health insurance, while most say they are not aware of any available insurance scheme or can't afford insurance.

In striking numbers, Nigerians experience barriers to accessing health care, including high costs, long wait times, shortages of medicines, facilities in poor condition, absent medical personnel, and demands for bribes. The share of citizens who report going without needed care has almost doubled over the past decade, and most Nigerians say they worry about being unable to obtain or afford medical care when they need it.

Public demand for better government performance on health care is high: Most citizens say the government is doing a poor job on improving basic health-care services, and a clear majority call for universal health care, even if it requires a tax increase.

Caroline Nakayiza Caroline Nakayiza is a sampling assistant at Hatchile Consult Ltd.

Raphael Mbaegbu Raphael is a project manager for NOI Polls

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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