Traditional, religious leaders key to Nigeria’s healthcare delivery- Pate

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, says traditional and religious leaders remain vital to improving healthcare delivery and health outcomes across Nigerian communities.

Pate stated this on Wednesday in Abuja during a media conference ahead of the 2026 Nigerian Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health.

He said the leaders’ influence, community presence and moral authority make them indispensable partners in healthcare reforms and service uptake nationwide.

“Traditional and religious leaders are so vital in our country that we also have to engage them for the roles they have played in immunisation and maternal health.”

Pate noted that the ministry’s ongoing reforms emphasise community trust, shared responsibility and stronger participation from all societal groups, including traditional rulers and faith leaders.

He explained that many health decisions begin at the household level, adding that trusted community figures help families understand the importance of antenatal care, immunisation and timely facility delivery.

The minister said leaders often provide early information on disease outbreaks because “if there is an outbreak, the traditional or religious leader may be the first to know.”

He stressed that engaging leaders would strengthen communication channels, improve accountability and help refine government health strategies based on community realities.

Pate said traditional institutions were central to Nigeria’s successful 2025 integrated vaccination campaign, noting they mobilised families and enabled the campaign to reach over 60 million children.

He added that their continued participation would boost efforts in Tuberculosis, HIV and malaria control, as well as support the national health security agenda.

Pate said the summit would also host the launch of the second cohort of the National Health Fellows Programme to deepen community-level engagement.

He explained that the fellows would work closely with traditional leaders to “take the message out” and support community-driven health improvements nationwide.

The minister also said the summit would feature discussions on the Nigeria-U.S. health partnership and the five-year MOU supporting HIV, TB and malaria programmes.

He emphasised that Nigeria must strengthen domestic health financing as the U.S. gradually winds down its support after the planned funding cycle.

“The health of Nigerians is the responsibility of Nigerians. We cannot depend on external actors forever for diseases that affect our people,” the minister said.

Pate said President Bola Tinubu approved the summit to foster collaboration, improve understanding of national health strategies and strengthen joint accountability across all tiers of government.

He said, “traditional and religious leaders are among the most influential voices in communities, and their role is essential to sustaining whatever we do.”

Co-chair of the Health Development Partners Group, Ms. Fatima Zanna, said development partners strongly support the government’s engagement with traditional and religious institutions.

Zanna said the approach provides “an in-road into what is happening in the community” and improves evidence-based decision-making for health programmes.

She described the upcoming summit as “a very welcome endeavour,” adding that partners looked forward to participating and supporting Nigeria’s efforts to improve community health ownership.