2027 election: Doctors outline conditions for supporting political office seekers

As political alignments and activities heat up across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections, medical doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have sent a clear message to the political class: No concrete health agenda, no support.

Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise, NMA President Professor Afiong Omoti stated that the association is shifting from a "reactive pressure group" into a strategic institution. Medical professionals are demanding that every aspirant—presidential, gubernatorial, and legislative—include a clear, measurable, and time-bound health manifesto before earning their endorsement.

The NMA outlined several critical conditions and deliverables that political office seekers must prioritize:

The Key Conditions for Support
Legally Binding Health Financing & Revitalization: Candidates must present a clear, legally backed strategy to increase health sector funding. This includes concrete plans to expand Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and a massive overhaul of decaying primary healthcare (PHC) infrastructure.

A Strategy to Combat the "Japa" Brain Drain: Over the last seven years, at least 16,000 doctors have left Nigeria, leaving the country with just 55,000 physicians to cater to a massive population (a dismal doctor-to-patient ratio of roughly 3.9 per 10,000). The NMA demands a comprehensive national human resource plan to stop the brain drain.

Improved Welfare and Security: Aspirants must demonstrate how they intend to provide competitive remuneration, better working conditions, and robust security/protection for health workers in public hospitals, who frequently face hazards and insecurity.

Modernization and Digitization: Public hospitals must be modernized with deliberate investments in healthcare digitization, reliable data systems, emergency preparedness, and enhanced disease surveillance.

Local Pharmaceutical & Vaccine Production: To insulate Nigeria from global supply chain shocks and reduce the skyrocketing costs of critical medications, candidates must have active policies to promote local manufacturing of drugs and vaccines.

"Not an Afterthought"
NMA President Professor Omoti emphasized that the NMA will no longer accept vague campaign promises or business-as-usual rhetoric:

"Healthcare should be one of the defining issues of the 2027 elections, not an afterthought buried under vague promises. [...] Too often, the conversation around healthcare only becomes loud during strikes or emergencies, and that must change."

By setting these stringent conditions, Nigeria's medical community intends to hold politicians strictly accountable, forcing healthcare to the very front burner of the 2027 national development discussions.