In this study, the authors analyse the financing of Nigeria’s healthcare system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They use the three health care financing functions: revenue collection, pooling, and purchasing. The findings show that Nigeria projected that it would need US$330 million to control its COVID-19 pandemic. It raised more than US$560.52 million, more than 90% of which came from the private sector and the donor community. The pooled COVID-19 fund has been mainly used on temporary public health and clinical care measures, with little invested to strengthen the health system beyond the pandemic. There has been an increase in household out of pocket expenditures due to the slow turn-around time for COVID-19 test results and the stigma associated with the disease. The out-of-pocket expense, and the inability of most Nigerians to earn money because of measures instituted to contain the pandemic, will likely contribute to impoverishment of Nigerian household , negatively affecting the country’s progress towards the attainment of universal health coverage.
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