By Mercy Peter
Nigeria has placed diagnostics, data sharing, and primary public health infrastructure at the centre of its renewed strategy to guard against future pandemics.
This is as top officials and global health experts called for deeper collaboration and faster information exchange to contain emerging threats.
The shift in emphasis emerged on Monday in Abuja at the close of a high-level symposium on pandemic preparedness, where the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, and the Minister of State for Health, Adekunle Salako, outlined Nigeria’s evolving response framework alongside international partners, including Chinese virologist George Gao.
Salako stressed that early detection remains the backbone of any effective public health intervention, warning that undetected pathogens can spread rapidly and overwhelm health systems.
“Diagnostic is a key element. If you cannot pick what is the problem, you cannot address it,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria’s partnership with China is expected to significantly strengthen laboratory systems and diagnostic capacity, enabling quicker identification of infectious diseases and improving response times.
According to him, enhanced diagnostic systems in Nigeria would also bolster health security across the West African sub-region.
Global health experts at the event highlighted data sharing as equally critical in managing pandemics. Gao, who delivered the keynote address, warned that delays or reluctance in sharing epidemiological data could worsen global outbreaks.
“If we don’t share the data, the virus will share the data,” he said, referencing the rapid spread and mutation of COVID-19 into multiple variants during the pandemic.
He called for stronger international frameworks that encourage transparency, real-time reporting, and open scientific collaboration to ensure that countries can respond swiftly to emerging threats.
Beyond high-end science, the symposium also drew attention to foundational public health needs, particularly water supply and sanitation systems. Gao noted that improving these basic services is essential for preventing disease outbreaks, especially in fast-growing economies like Nigeria.
He urged authorities to prioritise investments in water infrastructure and sanitation reforms, describing them as critical components of long-term disease prevention.
Nigeria’s preparedness strategy also includes a targeted approach to endemic and emerging infectious diseases such as Lassa Fever and Mpox. Officials said strengthening surveillance, diagnostics, and research around these diseases would improve national readiness and contribute to global knowledge.
Pate emphasised that Nigeria is not only a recipient of global health support but also an active contributor, citing ongoing scientific work by local researchers, including Christian Happi in genome sequencing and vaccine-related research.
While reaffirming Nigeria’s openness to partnerships with countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America, Pate stressed that sustainable progress depends on long-term cooperation rather than short-term interventions.
He described technology transfer as a gradual process rooted in trust and continuous engagement, noting that partnerships such as the Nigeria–China collaboration provide a platform for shared learning and capacity building.
Despite advances in science and global coordination, officials warned that the timing and nature of the next pandemic remain uncertain, making preparedness an urgent priority.
Pate cautioned that global interconnectedness means that no country can afford to act in isolation, as weaknesses in one health system can quickly become a global risk.
“We don’t know when the next major pandemic will occur… every country must realise that we are interconnected and interdependent,” he said.
