Nigeria’s management of the COVID-19 crisis has been ranked among the best in the world, with only China and Japan ahead, according to Professor Osondu Ogbuoji, a health expert at Duke University in the United States.
Speaking at a policy dialogue on national health financing, Ogbuoji said Nigeria’s success was driven by strong leadership from the Presidential Task Force, the NCDC, and other agencies.
He warned, however, that the achievement should not lead to complacency, pointing out that the world faces a one-in-five chance of another pandemic in the next ten years. Such an outbreak, he said, could result in 2.5 million deaths each year—surpassing the annual combined toll from HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Ogbuoji emphasised the need for systematic research into Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, saying lessons learnt could improve preparedness for future health crises. He called for robust investment in health security, data systems, and antimicrobial resistance, alongside stronger alignment between domestic and global health financing.
“This is the moment to prepare, not to relax,” he said, urging Nigeria to consolidate its gains and expand support for maternal and child health while building resilience for the future.
