Nigeria Develops Patient Safety Framework For Long Term Disease Care
Dr. Nafisat Makinɗe
Nigeria is developing a national framework on clinical governance and patient safety to reduce avoidable harm and improve care for people living with noncommunicable diseases, Health and Social Welfare Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
Pate disclosed this in Abuja during the country’s observance of World Patient Safety Day 2026 at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The 2026 theme, “Safe Care for Noncommunicable Diseases,” focuses on patient safety risks associated with conditions that often require prolonged treatment and repeated contact with health services.
A statement dated Sept. 18, 2026, and released by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the ministry established the National Patient Safety and Care Quality Policy and Implementation Strategy in 2024 and inaugurated the National Task Force on Clinical Governance and Patient Safety in January 2026.
Pate said the task force is developing the new framework to provide national direction on clinical governance, accountability, quality improvement, incident reporting, monitoring and learning across health institutions. He said diseases including cardiovascular conditions, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases create multiple points at which safety failures can occur, including diagnosis, treatment, referral, medication, follow up and long term management.
The minister called for a “Just Culture” in healthcare institutions, where health workers can report incidents, near misses and safety concerns without fear of inappropriate punishment. He said safer care also depends on competent and supported health workers, reliable data, evidence based clinical standards, effective reporting systems and greater involvement of patients and their families.
“Let us move from commitment to action; from reporting to learning; and from learning to sustained improvement,” Pate said, urging stakeholders to make patient safety a continuous part of healthcare delivery rather than an annual observance.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said patient safety should be built into every stage of care through appropriate standards, reliable health information, effective referral systems and continuous improvement. Speaking on behalf of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, WHO Country Representative Parvel Ursu called for stronger primary healthcare, better coordination of services, safer use of medicines and technologies, and systems that allow health workers to report errors and learn from them without fear of blame. He also urged patients and families to participate actively in decisions about their care.