Weak surveillance, data system weakening Nigeria’s preparedness for next pandemic — FG

..as Nigeria, China move to deepen collaboration

Nigeria’s preparedness for the next pandemic remains constrained by weak surveillance systems, poor data infrastructure and limited laboratory capacity, the federal government and public health stakeholders have said.

Speaking at the Nigeria–China pandemic preparedness symposium convened by the Federal Ministry of Health on Monday in Abuja, Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health said that while the Country had made progress, it is not yet fully prepared.

“The next pandemic is not if, but when. The question we should be asking ourselves is if the world is better prepared for the next pandemic, and if our two countries, Nigeria and China, is optimally leveraging the experiences of COVID-19 to better secure our citizens and our national economy from the next pandemic.

“The answer to this question, obviously, cannot be told. We will probably say yes or no. Progress has clearly been made, but there is still a lot to be done to keep humanity and our citizens safe,” the minister said.

According to him, Pandemics are among the most destructive and deadliest events in human history, warning that declining global public health funding, combined with the growing consensus that the next pandemic is inevitable, heightens the urgency for stronger preparedness.

Salako noted that Nigeria had strengthened parts of its health security framework, citing efforts to digitalise infectious disease surveillance systems, expand training for health workers and improve laboratory and pathology standards towards global accreditation.

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He added that Nigeria is also deepening international collaboration, including partnerships across Africa and North-East Asia, as part of efforts to bolster preparedness.

The minister further noted that Nigeria had faced multiple infectious disease outbreaks over the past decade, a trend that underscores the need for stronger, integrated surveillance systems capable of early detection and rapid response.

Jide Idris, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said weak subnational surveillance remains a major gap, stressing the need to build capacity at the state level.

He also pointed to financing constraints, noting that critical tools such as genomic sequencing are expensive and require sustained investment, alongside broader strengthening of laboratory systems.

On data systems, Jenom Danjuma, Programme Manager, Epidemic prevention said Nigeria continues to struggle to translate surveillance data into real-time, actionable intelligence.

He noted that data analytics capacity remains limited, particularly at the State level, with only about a quarter of states having basic data analytics systems in place.

This gap, he said, weakens the ability of health authorities to convert data into timely decision-making, with surveillance and outbreak monitoring systems present in less than 10 percent of health facilities.

Danjuma added that there is a need to expand and strengthen the functionality of public health emergency management centres to improve coordination, data use and response efficiency.

Also speaking, Yu Dunhai, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria said the global public health landscape is becoming more complex, with rising risks from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, mutations and cross-border transmission.

He warned that shrinking international health assistance is creating additional pressure on developing countries, particularly in accessing vaccines, medicines and essential medical resources.

Yu said strengthening cooperation between Nigeria and China is key to addressing these challenges, noting that both countries have recently deepened ties, including in health and scientific innovation.

He added that enhanced collaboration, including with multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organisation, will be critical to improving preparedness and ensuring more coordinated responses to future public health emergencies.