The Chief Executive Officer of Synlab Nigeria, Kenneth Okolie, has argued that privatising healthcare alone will not solve Nigeria’s healthcare challenges unless the country also addresses widespread poverty and expands access to healthcare financing.
Okolie made the submission while speaking during a panel session titled “Will Privatising Healthcare Save It?” at the Africa Technology Expo 2026 held in Lagos on Saturday.
According to him, investments in hospitals and healthcare personnel will have limited impact if millions of Nigerians remain unable to afford medical care.
“As much as we solve infrastructure, personnel, if we don’t solve for lifting people out of poverty, the end goal we desire will be mirage. When people pay for healthcare out of pocket, the first question people are going to ask is, have I eaten, have my children eaten? If these questions are not answered, the next thing a person having headache will do is go to church.”
He stressed that healthcare reforms should not be treated in isolation but must be integrated into broader economic policies aimed at improving citizens’ livelihoods.
