Human Capital Crisis: How Nigeria's ailing health system is stifling national productivity

Abstract

In the complex relationship between human well-being and economic vitality, population health remains a crucial foundation for national productivity. For Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with over 220 million people, this link is particularly important. As the country pursues ambitious development goals under the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), the health of its workforce directly influences its capacity to capitalise on its demographic dividend—a youthful population projected to reach 400 million by 2050. Nonetheless, persistent health inequalities, inadequate primary care infrastructure, and ethical lapses in workplace practices hinder this potential, restricting human capital development and perpetuating cycles of low productivity. This article critically examines these issues through the lens of human capital theory, employing Becker's model of health investments as a form of capital that yields long-term economic benefits. By integrating health sciences data with economic indicators, it illustrates how Nigeria's health disparities lead to productivity losses, contrasting this with a high performing peer to highlight possible pathways forward.