Health Minister, Pate, says science, not prayers, will fix Nigeria’s healthcare system

Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, has stressed that the country’s healthcare challenges cannot be solved through prayers or wishful thinking, but through science, research, and evidence-based reforms.

Speaking in Abuja at the SPARK Translational Research Boot Camp Conference on Monday, Pate warned that faith alone would not deliver meaningful progress in the health sector without scientific discipline and structured inquiry.

“To unlock the healthcare value chain, it has to be based on science. You can’t just pray your way through it. You need the discipline of scientific enquiry, grounded in evidence, to move across the value chain. That ecosystem has to be in place, and government can help build it in partnership with the private sector,” he said.

Pate noted that global advances in life expectancy, disease control, and improved quality of life were achieved through sustained scientific research. He highlighted Nigeria’s current health transitions, including demographic growth, rising non-communicable diseases, economic shifts, and rapid technological change.

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“Thirty or forty years ago, it was mostly infectious diseases. Today, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurological conditions now account for a significant portion of morbidity and mortality,” he explained.

The minister also expressed concern about growing anti-science sentiments, including vaccine scepticism, warning that misinformation and shallow engagement with technology could reverse hard-won health gains.

Earlier, Dr. Obi Adigwe, Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, called for renewed global commitment to defending science against misinformation and politicisation. He described science as central to public health, economic growth, and national security, urging governments and philanthropists to support research that directly improves lives.

Nigeria’s healthcare system continues to face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, rising non-communicable disease burdens, and limited local research capacity. Recent initiatives, including the Health Sector Real Investment Initiative, aim to strengthen governance, expand healthcare services, and unlock the healthcare value chain.

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