Stakeholders in the health sector have urged the newly inducted legislators to review pending bills and reactivate processes to pass and sign them into law, in order to ensure the assent of the public health bill.
The call was made on Thursday in Abuja at the strategic health legislative retreat. The outgoing members of the 9th Assembly under the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) provided orientation for the incoming members of the 10th Assembly.
A former chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe emphasised the need for the 10th Assembly to sustain the 2023 budgetary allocation to health. He set a goal of achieving a remarkable 10 per cent allocation by 2027.
Oloriegbe stated that it was crucial for the 10th Assembly to develop its legislative health agenda and other oversight tools to make legislative oversight more strategic. He highlighted the significance of leveraging legislative statutory functions as a powerful development strategy for addressing sectoral challenges and gaps.
He added, “This has been the mission of the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage (LNU), whose membership cuts across all parliaments in Nigeria, both at the national and sub-national levels. Guided by an overarching theory of change and its Legislative Health Agenda (LHA), LNU members in the outgoing 9th National Assembly have led various legislative interventions that have contributed to many achievements and progress made in Nigeria towards attaining UHC”.
To sustain these achievements and maintain steady progress, Oloriegbe stressed the importance of engaging newly elected legislators, particularly those with health backgrounds and those who have expressed interest in joining health committees in the 10th Assembly. He viewed the current transition phase between the 9th National Assembly and the incoming 10th Assembly as a strategic opportunity for such engagement.
The pioneer of the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage (LNU) and president of LISDEL, Sen. Lanre Tejuoso advised the incoming legislators to “put a human face” to their appropriation and implementation processes. Tejuoso highlighted the LNU’s effective use of these functions and roles in implementing legislative interventions that address various issues in Nigeria’s health system, contributing to the achievement of UHC and resilience.
Tejuoso mentioned key achievements, including the establishment of a legal framework for mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians, increased domestic funding for health, strategic interventions to respond efficiently to COVID-19 and other public health emergencies, and improved legal, policy, and institutional frameworks for health.
These achievements were guided by the LHA, a strategic legislative tool developed at the beginning of the 9th Assembly by the Joint Health Committees and the Legislative Network for UHC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and its MDAs.
The chairman of National Advocates for Health (NA4H), Hon. Mohammed Usman emphasised the indispensable role of the legislature in building a functional, effective socio-economic and politically responsive state. He commended the outgoing health committees of the 9th Assembly for their achievements, which will benefit Nigerians.
Usman urged the incoming parliamentarians to continue the work of the outgoing 9th Assembly in ensuring the implementation of existing laws, rather than introducing new legislation. He encouraged the new legislators to prioritize the implementation of a cancer fund.
During the event, presentations and documentaries showcased the activities and achievements of various committees, as well as the progress made in relation to the 9th Assembly’s LHA. The new members had the opportunity to discuss potential challenges they might face and brainstorm solutions with the members of the 9th Assembly. They also engaged with executive branch members regarding the current health policy direction of the government and interacted with partners to establish a foundation for successful collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s health system when the 10th Assembly begins its work.
