Health, Education must match physical infrastructure investments to fix economy — Pate

By Precious Mark

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate has declared that building roads, bridges, and rail lines will not be enough to fix Nigeria’s economy unless the nation aggressively matches those investments with equal funding for health, education, and skills development.

Pate made this known while delivering a keynote address at the Human Capital Development Summit for Northern Nigeria in Abuja.

Speaking, Pate emphasized that investing in human capital is just as critical as physical infrastructure, describing Nigeria’s population as its greatest asset and the true foundation for inclusive economic growth.

According to the Minister, unlocking Nigeria’s demographic dividend requires deliberate, high-impact investments to build a healthier, better-educated, and more productive workforce.

“Unlocking Nigeria’s demographic dividend will require deliberate investments that build a healthier, better educated and more productive population capable of driving long-term economic prosperity,” Prof. Pate stated.

Without prioritizing these social sectors, he warned, the country cannot successfully increase national productivity, eradicate poverty, or strengthen its competitiveness on the global stage.

He noted that “investment in human capital is as critical as investment in physical infrastructure,” making it essential for sustainable development.

Highlighting ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Prof. Pate pointed to expanded investments across several key areas.

These include the systemic revitalization of Primary Health Care (PHC), improvements in maternal and child health, healthcare workforce development, and the expansion of tertiary healthcare infrastructure.

He also noted progress in driving domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, digital health transformation, and strengthening sector governance through the newly introduced Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).

While acknowledging that human capital challenges vary significantly across different regions of the country, the Minister stressed that addressing these disparities is non-negotiable for achieving equitable national development.

He clarified that while the Federal Government is driving macro-level reforms, sustained progress heavily relies on strong collaboration with subnational governments whose local investments and implementation remain critical to improving social outcomes.

“Although the Federal Government is driving reforms across the health sector, sustained progress depends on strong collaboration with state and local governments, whose investments and implementation remain critical to improving health, education and social outcomes,” the Minister emphasized.

The Coordinating Minister subsequently challenged state and local governments to prioritize budgetary allocations that improve classroom learning outcomes, strengthen local primary healthcare centers, expand economic opportunities for women and youth, and build healthier communities.