PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL

Abstract

Globally, the healthcare of a nation is a major pillar of its national security, given its direct impact on the citizens and overall stability of the state. However, Nigeria’s healthcare system has continued to witness significant deterioration at various levels, from the primary healthcare system through the secondary healthcare system to the tertiary healthcare system, due to some key challenges. Using the human security theory, paper examines the interconnectedness of Nigeria’s public healthcare system and its national security through a thematic review of extant literature, national policy interventions and global assessment index. The outcome shows that Nigeria’s public healthcare system faces significant challenges, including inadequate health sector funding, poor health insurance coverage, shortage of trained medical professionals, which is directly affecting the country’s human security and by inference her national security. The paper recommends provision of strategic and progressive leadership, increase funding and resource allocation, strengthen primary healthcare system, address outmigration of medical professionals among others as ways to address the challenges and boost quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria. The paper dwells largely on secondary sources of data collection.