Doctors in Nigeria have raised alarms about the country's potential failure to meet the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) target set for 2030. They cite systemic issues such as inadequate health financing, low enrolment in health insurance, and the exodus of trained medical professionals as significant barriers to achieving this ambitious goal. The lack of infrastructure and resources continues to pose challenges to providing affordable and quality healthcare to the population.

Universal Health Coverage is fundamentally about ensuring that every individual can access necessary health services without financial hardship. Nigerian physicians argue that without immediate reforms to the healthcare system, a large part of the population will remain burdened by out-of-pocket payments, leading to increased preventable health issues. This situation is particularly dire for vulnerable groups who already face significant barriers to accessing care, highlighting a critical need for policy changes to address these disparities.

Since the concept of UHC was globally embraced with the World Health Assembly's Resolution in 2005, many countries have worked towards this goal. However, Nigeria's persistent struggles with health infrastructure, financing, and human resources indicate that it may require urgent and comprehensive reforms to align with international health standards and ensure that all citizens, especially the most vulnerable, have access to essential healthcare services.