By Tomiwa Akinbamire
Nigeria has continued to face significant health-related challenges, with a growing burden of illnesses affecting populations across the country. Diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and cholera remain prevalent, while recent records show a worrying rise in the outbreak of Lassa fever, which has become one of the most pressing public-health concerns nationwide.
According to the 2025 report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), a total of 955 confirmed cases of Lassa fever were recorded from hundreds of suspected infections. The report also documented 176 deaths across 21 states, resulting in a case fatality rate of about 18.4%, which is higher than the figure recorded in 2024.
Most of the confirmed cases were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba states. Adults aged 21 to 30 years were among the most affected groups, while poor sanitation and late healthcare-seeking behaviour were identified as major factors linked to the recorded deaths.
Dr. Jide Idris, the current Director-General of the NCDC, has consistently addressed the issue of Lassa fever outbreaks in official situation reports. In 2025, he reported national case and death figures and highlighted emerging trends as well as ongoing response efforts. He also stressed the importance of early warning systems, integrated surveillance, and innovation in detecting and preventing diseases such as Lassa fever, while drawing attention to gaps that require improvement within Nigeria’s public-health surveillance system.
In an effort to address these health challenges, Nigeria and the United States signed a landmark agreement on 19 December 2025 aimed at strengthening health security, expanding primary healthcare, and promoting self-reliance. According to the Federal Government, the agreement is expected to enhance collaboration in the early detection, prevention, and control of emerging, re-emerging, and existing infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, Lassa fever and tuberculosis, while also improving access to quality primary healthcare services across the country.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), both countries agreed to work together to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response, improve laboratory systems and biosafety procedures for pathogen sample collection, transport, testing, storage, and disposal, and support frontline healthcare workers. The agreement also includes plans to strengthen data systems, ensure access to essential health commodities, and provide strategic investment and technical assistance across the health sector.
The reports further indicate that over a five-year period from April 2026 to December 2030, the United States Government is expected to provide nearly US$2 billion in grant funding to support Nigeria’s health priorities. In parallel, Nigeria has committed to allocating at least six percent of executed annual Federal and State budgets to health, a move projected to mobilise nearly US$3 billion in domestic health financing over the same period.
These developments reflect ongoing efforts to reduce the healthcare crisis in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to public-health emergencies, while also contributing to broader national stability.
Click here to read related post
