No fewer than 1,200 Nigerians develop tuberculosis (TB) every day as funding shortfalls and poor access to diagnostics continue to weaken the country’s response to the disease.
Nigeria remains one of the highest TB-burden countries globally and the worst affected in Africa. Health data show that the country records about 467,000 new cases annually, with more than 400,000 cases notified in 2024 out of an estimated over 500,000 infections.
Findings also indicate that treatment coverage stands at about 79 per cent, leaving a large number of cases undetected and sustaining community transmission.
According to the World Health Organisation, Nigeria faces a major funding gap in TB control, with only about 18 per cent of the required funds provided domestically, while about 73 per cent of the national TB budget is projected to remain unfunded in 2025.
The funding gap, experts said, has slowed the expansion of diagnostic services, weakened community case-finding and limited outreach to hard-to-reach populations. They added that delays in diagnosis remain common in many areas due to the poor availability of modern tools such as GeneXpert machines.
Public health advocates also noted that stigma and poor awareness continue to discourage many Nigerians from seeking early testing and treatment, allowing the disease to spread within households and communities.
Amid the challenges, the Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Initiative (LTR Nigeria) has stepped up community engagement and awareness campaigns to promote early detection and reduce stigma around the disease.
However, stakeholders warned that community-based interventions would not be enough without stronger government commitment and sustainable financing.
They stressed that tuberculosis is preventable, treatable and curable, but noted that Nigeria risks missing global targets to end TB if urgent steps are not taken to close the funding gap and strengthen diagnosis and treatment services nationwide.
