Nigeria Private Sector Health Assessment - SHOPS project

USAID and other donors should investigate the best alternatives for supporting the NHIS rollout. Based
on this assessment, the top areas would be provider and enrollee communications and training for
insurance regulators.
There is a strong need to support regulatory enforcement and advocacy work regarding provider
quality in the private sector. In the pharmaceutical sector, brokering a better partnership between
the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control could have far-reaching consequences in increasing the access of to quality drugs, including
contraceptives to Nigerians.
An assessment of the microfinance sector and a more in-depth look at the financial and training
needs of health providers is necessary to design a program that can help establish service providers in
underserved areas and help existing ones expand or improve their businesses. This assessment should
identify mechanisms to extend the existing Development Credit Authority guarantee to these providers.
USAID should conduct a detailed feasibility study for establishing a pharmaceutical network that
combines the benefits of access to credit, pooled procurement, training, and branded promotion
in exchange for working in underserved areas and adhering to quality standards. Consideration of
regulatory issues also will be important in determining such a network’s feasibility. This undertaking
could be done on a pilot basis; if positive results are demonstrated, these results could inform a larger
effort that advocates changes to national laws.
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