NIGERIA’S HEALTH CARE SECTOR: ITS HISTORY, AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, 1930 -2020

Abstract

The health status of the citizens of any given nation has often been used as an index of its overall development. In Nigeria, the conventional or orthodox healthcare sector has a long history, dating back to the colonial era. This article attempts to trace that history, as well as bring to the fore some of the health challenges which had, over the years, confronted the healthcare sector. The research did not involve any field work. Rather, it adopts the qualitative research methodology and thus, involved mainly the analysis of such secondary documentary sources as books and journals. Newspaper and magazine articles, as well as internet sources were also consulted. The research found that there are a number of health challenges in Nigeria which, if left unattended to, would have very dire consequences for the country. It suggests that the federal and state governments should integrate traditional medical practices into the conventional or orthodox healthcare system in order to adopt a holistic approach to the country’s contemporary healthcare issues.