Health Sector and the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government in Nigeria

Abstract

No society can attain any reasonable level of development without giving adequate attention to the health of her population. Over the years, successive governments in Nigeria have given priority to health issues. Recently, the present administration embarked on the transformation of all aspects of the Nigerian society including the health sector, for the purpose of development. Therefore, like other sectors of the country, the transformation of the health sector is ongoing. However, despite the ongoing transformation agenda health care delivery in the country is still generally poor, especially in the rural areas where majority of the population live. This paper therefore, examines the factors inhibiting the success of government’s transformation agenda in the health sector. Review shows that the social problems confronting the Nigerian society at large constitute serious impediments to the transformation agenda in all sectors. It is recommended that the government should adopt a zero tolerance approach to social problems such as conflicts, corruption, crime, indiscipline etc, through legislation and intensive public enlightenment using the mass media.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n10p580