We’re calling on the Nigerian government to fund the implementation of the National Health Act in the 2017 budget, particularly ensure that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund is established. This fund will ensure that all Nigerians, of all backgrounds, have access to basic health care, and Nigeria does not take the lives of the most vulnerable – the women and children who stand to benefit the most from this fund, for granted.

Nigeria accounts for one in every eight child deaths globally. Every single day the country loses more than 2,000 children under-five to diseases, while 158 Nigerian women die from pregnancy or childbirth related illnesses. Despite being Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria proportionately spends very little on the health of its citizens and is failing to meet its promises on health spending made in the Abuja Declaration 15 years ago.

So today I’m joining ONE and 25 other Nigerian civil society organisations by signing the ONE petition to urge President Buhari and the Nigerian government to set a timetable to make good on the commitments to the Abuja Declaration to allocate at least 15% of the annual budget to health, and to do this by 2019.

We’re calling on the Nigerian government to fund the implementation of the National Health Act starting in the 2017 budget, particularly ensure that the Basic Health Care Fund is funded with at least 1% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund and made operational, as this will ensure that all Nigerians, particularly women and young children have access to basic health care.

I’m encouraging my fellow Nigerians to join me in signing this petition – together we can make Naija stronger!

What We Can Do to #MakeNaijaStronger:

•     Urge President Buhari and the Nigerian government to set a timetable to make good on the commitments to the Abuja Declaration to allocate at least 15% of the annual budget to health, and to do this by 2019.

•     Call on the Nigerian government to fund the implementation of the National Health Act starting in the 2017 budget, and ensure more resources are being allocated to benefit all Nigerians, particularly women and young children.

•     Engage with policymakers leading up to the 2017 budget formulation to increase budget transparency and improve on the quality and quantity of health-related data and poverty monitoring.

•     Ask for a step up in funding for nutrition in the 2017 budget to align with the national nutrition strategy to ensure that children not only survive, but thrive.

Extremely proud to be part of this important project! Did you know that despite being Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria spends very little on the health of its citizens? Nigeria is also failing to meet its promises on health spending made in the Abuja Declaration 15 years ago. If you believe that it’s important for our government to urgently improve on our health care, Pls go to www.one.org/africa/take-action. #MakeNaijaStronger @onecampaign

A video posted by Toolz Oniru-Demuren (@toolzo) on Oct 13, 2016 at 3:39am PDT