Nigeria’s Silent Health Crisis

Non communicable diseases are surging across Nigeria. Here is what the data shows, and how Health Invest Africa is strengthening systems to close the gap.

Nigeria is facing a silent health crisis, and it isn’t the one most people expect.

It is the hidden culprit behind countless obituaries reading “passed away after a brief illness” or “lost to a protracted battle.”

For decades, public health efforts across sub-Saharan Africa have focused on communicable diseases like Tuberculosis and HIV. However, according to the 2022 Lancet Nigeria Commission, non communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, cardiovascular, and chronic kidney diseases are surging, almost overtaking communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases as the leading contributor to age-standardized mortality in Nigeria.

Nigeria faces a double disease burden: communicable illnesses drive youth mortality, while non communicable diseases (NCDs) surge among the elderly. Here are some facts:

• Life Expectancy: Stands at just over 54 years according to World Bank data, ranking among the lowest globally.
• Regional Risk Shift: NCD deaths across the WHO African Region rose from 24.2% in 2000 to 37.1% in 2019. In Nigeria, NCDs claimed 567 lives per 100,000 people in 2019.
• Mortality Profile (2023): Communicable diseases claimed 1.04 million lives in Nigeria, while NCDs accounted for 602,000 deaths, and injuries caused 140,000.
• Hypertension Prevalence: 1 in 3 Nigerian adults has hypertension, a major driver of cardiovascular disease and NCD mortality.
• Structural Bottlenecks: Cancer care and NCD management are crippled by missing diagnostic tools, low health literacy, and severe delivery delays.
• Financial Strain: 70% of healthcare spending is out-of-pocket, driving catastrophic health spending that forces households into poverty.
• Patient Impact: Every statistic translates to citizens facing long travel, high costs, and dangerous delays before treatment begins.

What is the way forward?

Currently, there are two broad efforts required to address the growing NCD burden: stronger implementation and enforcement of existing NCD-related policies, and strengthening healthcare systems to improve the diagnosis and treatment of NCDs.

From a policy point of view, while policies exist, implementation remains a significant gap. For instance, the enforcement of existing regulations on health-harming products that elevate the risk of non communicable diseases has been inconsistent or, often, nonexistent. These products include sugar-sweetened beverages, ultra-processed foods, skin-lightening cosmetics, and tobacco, as outlined in the 2019 National Multisectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.

In terms of systems strengthening, Health Invest Africa (HIA) is built specifically to respond to this key lever of the NCD crisis. HIA strengthens and activates existing healthcare systems and assets through its management and specialist healthcare platforms.

HIA has developed platforms that sit at the intersection of public and private healthcare, enabling stronger cooperation and improving the ability of existing systems to diagnose and treat NCDs. To achieve this, HIA operates specialized care models, including OncoClinics for cancer care and Rencare for kidney care. Furthermore, HIA has launched a hospital management platform designed to empower healthcare assets that would otherwise be underutilized, with the first project being the Dr. Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Hospital (POCCH).

Follow for more and learn how we are collaborating with government and stakeholders to close the NCD gap in Nigeria.

References

1. Abubakar, I., Dalglish et al. (2022). The Lancet Nigeria Commission: investing in health and the future of the nation. The Lancet, 399(10330), 1155–1200.
2. Barry, A. et. Al. (2025). Non-communicable diseases in the WHO African region: analysis of risk factors, mortality, and responses based on WHO data. Scientific Reports, 15.
3. Nwankwo, M., Makena, W., Idris, A. et al. Prevalence of hypertension among adults in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 26, 330 (2026).
4. Odunyemi A, Rahman T and Alam K. (2023). Economic burden of non-communicable diseases on households in Nigeria: evidence from the Nigeria living standard survey 2018-19. BMC Public Health. 2023 Aug 17;23(1):1563.
5. Ritchie, H. (2026). Health: Nigeria Country Profile. Our World in Data.
6. Venley, N. N. (2026, May 4th). Nigeria ranks lowest in global life expectancy. International Centre for Investigative Reporting.
7. World Bank. (n.d.). Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - Nigeria. World Bank Gender Data Portal. Retrieved August 12, 2026.