Health
FCMB, stakeholders set out roadmap to move Nigeria’s health sector from survival to scale
Nigeria’s healthcare sector needs more than additional funding to expand. It needs businesses capable of attracting capital, deploying it effectively and building institutions that can grow sustainably, healthcare stakeholders have said.
That challenge was at the centre of the inaugural First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Healthcare Summit in Lagos, where the bank unveiled a N20 billion Healthcare Fund to support private healthcare businesses.
The fund will provide financing to hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, maternity homes and other businesses across the healthcare value chain.
The summit, themed “Financing Growth: Unlocking Opportunity, Building the Future of Healthcare,” brought together policymakers, healthcare providers, investors, financial institutions and development partners to examine how more private capital can be channelled into Nigeria’s health sector.
At the heart of the discussions was a persistent financing problem: healthcare providers struggle to access affordable, long-term capital, while lenders and investors often require stronger governance, financial reporting and business structures before committing funds.
“Healthcare is a social imperative and an economic priority,” FCMB Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Yemisi Edun said in remarks delivered by Executive Director, Corporate Services and Service Management Felicia Obozuwa. “Building a strong healthcare system requires patient, affordable and long-term capital.”
Mrs Edun said financing alone would not be sufficient. Healthcare businesses also need sound governance, capable leadership and strategic partnerships to build resilient institutions.
Through the new fund, FCMB plans to finance infrastructure expansion, medical equipment, working capital, technology adoption and other investments aimed at improving efficiency and service delivery.
The push for more private capital comes as the government increases public investment in healthcare and seeks to expand capacity across the sector.
Government investment
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said more than N339 billion has been disbursed through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund over the past 12 years.
Of that amount, N235 billion was disbursed in the last three years under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, he said.
Mr Salako added that another N32.9 billion was recently disbursed to support more than 8,300 primary healthcare centres, while the government is targeting about 13,000 facilities nationwide.
Beyond healthcare facilities, the government is seeking to increase domestic production of medicines and medical equipment.
Under the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, Nigeria is targeting local production of 70 per cent of medicines and medical devices by 2030.
Mr Salako also highlighted initiatives aimed at addressing electricity constraints in healthcare facilities and creating long-term procurement opportunities for local manufacturers.
Making healthcare businesses bankable
For private healthcare operators, however, access to affordable capital remains a major obstacle to expansion.
The President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Njide Ndili, said affordable, long-term financing is one of the biggest barriers facing private healthcare businesses.
She said experience from HFN’s partnership with the PharmAccess Medical Credit Fund demonstrated that healthcare small and medium-sized enterprises could become bankable when financing is combined with technical support, capacity building and quality standards.
The challenge, therefore, is not simply increasing the amount of money available to healthcare providers but ensuring that businesses are prepared to attract and manage investment.
HFN will work with FCMB to develop a framework for pre-qualifying eligible healthcare facilities and helping businesses become investment-ready.
The federation, which has more than 400 member organisations and 4,000 professionals, will support businesses in strengthening governance, financial reporting, management capacity and growth plans before accessing financing.
From survival to scale
Discussions at the summit examined how healthcare operators can move beyond managing day-to-day pressures and build institutions capable of attracting long-term investment.
Participants explored blended finance, alternative lending structures and public-private partnerships as possible mechanisms for attracting more domestic and international capital.
An executive discussion on building healthcare businesses that attract investment also highlighted the importance of sound business management, governance, risk management and clear growth strategies alongside clinical performance.
READ ALSO: FCMB Group sustains performance, reports 99% growth in profit before tax to N157.3bn
Four broad priorities emerged from the discussions: expanding access to fit-for-purpose capital, improving the bankability of healthcare businesses, strengthening public-private partnerships and increasing domestic capacity in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical equipment.
FCMB’s N20 billion fund is positioned within that broader agenda, complementing government investment with private financing for businesses seeking to expand facilities, purchase equipment, adopt technology and improve service delivery.
The summit was organised in partnership with the Health Business Academy for Africa.
For stakeholders, the next challenge is translating the financing commitments and partnerships announced at the summit into stronger healthcare businesses and increased capacity across the sector.
The broader goal is to create a healthcare ecosystem in which stronger institutions, sustainable financing and strategic partnerships translate into greater access to quality healthcare for Nigerians.
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Health
EXCLUSIVE: Ebola: 34-year-old pilot, wife identified as suspected cases who tested negative in North-east Nigeria
A 34-year-old pilot and his wife, a medical doctor, were the two people investigated for suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Adamawa State after developing symptoms including fever, vomiting, fatigue, headache, cough, bleeding gums and nosebleeds.
Although Nigerian officials said two suspected Ebola cases were being investigated in the state and eventually turned negative, their identities were not disclosed. PREMIUM TIMES can now disclose the officials’ identities, though we are redacting their names.
An internal memo from the Adamawa State Ministry of Health and Human Services, obtained exclusively by PREMIUM TIMES, said the couple were admitted to the isolation centre of the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH), Yola, on 29 October.
The memo, dated 30 October 2026 and signed by the State Epidemiologist, Jones Kadabiyu, said the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) received the report at 6:45 a.m. following a clinician’s report from MAUTH.
The development came as health authorities intensified surveillance following Nigeria’s confirmation of its first Ebola case in the current outbreak.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) had on Saturday announced that two suspected Ebola cases had been identified in the North-east, but did not initially disclose the state where the cases were detected.
However, the agency later confirmed that the two suspected cases were in Adamawa, noting that the laboratory tests on samples from both individuals were negative for Ebola after two rounds of testing.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Jide Idris, the NCDC said it was working with the Adamawa State government to investigate the suspected cases.
The agency said it isolated the two individuals and immediately activated public health measures while collecting samples for laboratory testing.
“Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing,” Mr Idris said.
The NCDC said there is currently no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa State, adding that the previously confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remains the only confirmed case in Nigeria.
What PREMIUM TIMES learnt
According to the memo, the pilot developed symptoms on 13 October, while his wife developed similar symptoms on 25 October.
The names of the two patients are contained in the documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES. However, this newspaper is withholding their identities to protect their privacy.
A preliminary report dated 31 October from Yola North Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa State, said the pilot travelled to Kenya “for personal reasons” on 14 October and returned to Nigeria on 25 October. It said he had developed a fever before his trip and was treated for malaria.
“Prior to his departure, he reportedly developed a fever on 13 October 2026 and was treated for malaria. He reportedly remained well while in Kenya,” it noted.
However, upon returning to Yola, he developed symptoms including fever, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, headache, cough, bleeding gums and nosebleeds. His wife subsequently developed similar symptoms after caring for him at home.
They were both admitted at the MAUTH isolation centre.
The state health authorities collected samples from both patients on 30 October and transported them to the National Reference Laboratory for testing, according to the report.
Contacts traced
The memo report said 18 contacts had been identified, traced and line-listed, while the preliminary report dated 31 October put the number at 17.
The PHEOC also notified the State Rapid Response Team, the State NCDC office, Local Government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF.
The state health authorities recommended continued contact tracing, infection prevention and control measures, enhanced surveillance and coordination with relevant authorities.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information.
It also advised people who develop symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly after a relevant exposure, to seek immediate medical attention.
READ ALSO: Ebola: Saudi Arabia suspends travel to Kenya, halts visa issuance
Ebola outbreak
Nigeria is one of five countries that have detected Bundibugyo virus disease during the current outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May.
The outbreak has remained concentrated in the DRC but has spread beyond the country.
Nigeria’s first confirmed case of Ebola in 2026 was a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja and tested positive on 20 October. She was subsequently medically evacuated to Switzerland for continued treatment.
The NCDC’s latest situation report said 62 contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed case had been identified and were being monitored.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, had said genomic analysis showed that the virus detected in the Nigerian patient was closely related to the strain identified in Kenya’s first imported case. He, however, said the finding did not establish that the Nigerian patient was infected in Kenya.
WHO’s latest update reported 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths in the DRC as of 28 October. Kenya had recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths, while Nigeria had one confirmed case at the time of the update.
Ebola is a viral disease that can cause severe illness and spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said two suspected Ebola cases identified in Adamawa State have tested negative for the virus.
The development came hours after the agency announced that two suspected Ebola cases had been identified in Nigeria’s North-east, without disclosing the state where they were found.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Jide Idris, on Saturday evening, the NCDC said the samples collected from the two individuals tested negative for Ebola virus after two rounds of testing.
The agency said the suspected cases were reported in Yola, Adamawa State, on 30 October after the two individuals presented with symptoms suggestive of Ebola.
“Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EVD after two rounds of testing,” Mr Idris said.
Mr Idris said there is currently no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa State.
He added that the index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed Ebola case reported in Nigeria to date.
Ebola outbreak
The development comes 11 days after Nigeria confirmed its first case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus.
Nigeria is one of five countries that have detected Bundibugyo virus disease during the current outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May.
The outbreak has remained concentrated in the DRC but has spread beyond the country.
Nigeria’s first confirmed case of Ebola in 2026 was a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja and tested positive on 20 October. She was subsequently medically evacuated to Switzerland for continued treatment.
READ ALSO: Ebola: No new cases in Nigeria as two suspected cases in North-east test negative
The NCDC’s latest situation report said 62 contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed case had been identified and were being monitored.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, had said genomic analysis showed that the virus detected in the Nigerian patient was closely related to the strain identified in Kenya’s first imported case. He, however, said the finding did not establish that the Nigerian patient was infected in Kenya.
WHO’s latest update reported 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths in the DRC as of 28 October. Kenya has recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths, while Nigeria has one confirmed case at the time of the update.
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