Expert Advocates Bold Reforms, Evidence-based Policymaking to Boost Healthcare Coverage

James Emejo in Abuja

A professor of public health and health systems economics, Chima Ariel Onoka, has warned that Nigeria cannot achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) without bold reforms, evidence-based policymaking and strong political commitment, amid concerns that over 200 million Nigerians still lacked reliable healthcare coverage.
Onoka, who is scheduled to deliver the 241st Inaugural Lecture of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) on May 14, 2026, said UHC remains critical to reducing poverty and building a productive society.
He cautioned that progress would remain limited if policies continued to be driven by political convenience rather than facts.
The planned lecture, titled, “Bridging the Divide: The Pracademic’s Mandate in the Quest for Universal Health Coverage,” will hold at the Enugu Campus of the ivory tower.
In a statement announcing the lecture, the health policy expert will argue that “a health system that works for the poor is the ultimate test of a nation’s conscience.”
Onoka, who holds an MBBS from UNN and a PhD in Health Systems Economics from the University of London, is also a fellow of the West African College of Physicians.
Describing himself as a “Pracademic,” Onoka said researchers and policy advocates must move beyond theoretical debates to actively influence reforms capable of improving healthcare access for ordinary Nigerians.
He stressed that advocacy must be guided by credible data and research evidence, warning that “information without advocacy is inert. Advocacy without evidence is dangerous.”
The inaugural lecture is expected to attract policy makers, healthcare administrators, academics and public health stakeholders from across the country.