The Federal Ministry of Health has warned that Nigeria is grappling with multiple layers of disease simultaneously, as the country faces a growing combination of communicable and non-communicable illnesses that are placing increasing strain on the healthcare system.
The warning was issued at the official inauguration of the Nuparadigm Health Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting health awareness and preventing avoidable diseases through education and lifestyle interventions.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry, Abraham Emmanuel said Nigeria’s health profile has significantly changed, with the country no longer dealing solely with infectious diseases.
“Africa, and Nigeria in particular, is no longer facing only communicable diseases,” Emmanuel said. “We are now experiencing a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and some even describe it as a triple burden when pandemics are included.”
He expressed concern over the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among younger Nigerians, noting that conditions such as hypertension, stroke and type 2 diabetes are now affecting people in their 30s.
According to him, lifestyle factors are the major drivers of this trend. “These are mainly lifestyle-related diseases, which means they can be managed and prevented through increased awareness and better choices,” he said.
Emmanuel also cited national survey findings indicating widespread lack of awareness about health risks. He warned that unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol consumption, tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke are silently fuelling a surge in preventable illnesses, creating what he described as a hidden public health crisis.
Founder of the Nuparadigm Health Foundation, Dr. Omolara Olagunju, said her years of medical practice revealed that Nigeria’s health system focuses more on treating illness than preventing it.
“After about 15 years of medical practice, I realised that we don’t really have healthcare in the true sense,” she said. “Hospitals are more like disease parlours. Real healthcare happens outside the hospital, and you should not have to be sick before you start thinking about how to be healthy.”
Olagunju noted that many Nigerians unknowingly harm their health due to lack of access to credible and simple information. She added that economic pressures often force people to neglect preventive care, even as their health deteriorates.
To address this gap, she said the foundation plans to take health education directly to communities, workplaces, schools and digital platforms, rather than waiting for people to visit hospitals.
She also raised concerns about unhealthy habits being ingrained early in life, warning that rising childhood obesity could lead to severe health consequences in the future if urgent action is not taken.
In his keynote address, Consultant Physician and Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Iseko Iseko, said Nigeria invests disproportionately in treating diseases rather than preventing them.
“Most of what we do is secondary prevention—treating diseases after they occur,” he said. “Primary prevention, which focuses on education and healthy practices, is where we should be investing more of our energy.”
Iseko warned that Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system is under pressure from both infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, and rising cases of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.
He described the country’s low life expectancy as a consequence of weak preventive care and widespread avoidable illness, noting that lifestyle-driven diseases are draining families financially.
“Treating heart failure alone can cost over ₦1.85 million every month,” he said. “When you add conditions like stroke and kidney failure, the financial impact on families is catastrophic. Prevention, early detection and lifestyle change are far better than waiting to treat advanced disease.”
The event drew healthcare professionals, government officials and other stakeholders, all of whom called for urgent national action to prioritise prevention, public education and healthier lifestyles as Nigeria confronts its evolving health challenges.
