Expert urges reforms to drive Universal Health Coverage

A professor of public health and health systems economics, Chima Ariel Onoka, has called for reforms aimed at strengthening Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians. Onoka stated this ahead of the University of Nigeria’s 241st Inaugural Lecture scheduled for May 14, 2026, at the institution’s Enugu campus. According to him, Universal Health Coverage remains critical to […]

A professor of public health and health systems economics, Chima Ariel Onoka, has called for reforms aimed at strengthening Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians.

Onoka stated this ahead of the University of Nigeria’s 241st Inaugural Lecture scheduled for May 14, 2026, at the institution’s Enugu campus.

According to him, Universal Health Coverage remains critical to reducing poverty and building a productive society, but achieving it requires the courage to implement meaningful reforms and prioritise evidence-based policies.

“With millions of Nigerians still lacking reliable health coverage, Universal Health Coverage is key to reducing poverty and building a productive society, but it cannot be achieved without the courage to drive real reform and the discipline to follow facts rather than political convenience,” he said.

Onoka earned an MBBS degree from the University of Port Harcourt, a Master of Public Health from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a PhD in Health Systems Economics from the University of London.

He is also a fellow of the West African College of Physicians.

Describing himself as a “pracademic,” Onoka said his career combines academic work with active engagement in public service and health policy.

His lecture, titled “Bridging the Divide: The Pracademic’s Mandate in the Quest for Universal Health Coverage,” comes amid ongoing discussions about the future of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Onoka also stressed the importance of equitable healthcare access, noting that “a health system that works for the poor is the ultimate test of a nation’s conscience.”

Highlighting the role of evidence in policymaking, he added: “Information without advocacy is inert. Advocacy without evidence is dangerous.”

The lecture is expected to attract policymakers, healthcare administrators, and academic leaders to the university’s Enugu campus.