Patient Safety as a Driver of Nigeria's Health System Reform: Five Policy Priorities for World Patient Safety Day 2026.

Nigeria has embarked upon significant health sector reforms aimed at strengthening health care delivery, improving the quality of care, and advancing universal health coverage. World Patient Safety Day 2026 provides an opportunity to examine progress made in patient safety and clinical governance while identifying strategic priorities for the next phase of health system transformation. This commentary reflects on recent developments in patient safety capacity-building, quality improvement, health care regulation, and workforce development in Nigeria, including the emergence of patient safety expertise across the country, the importance of strengthening clinical governance structures, the proposed establishment of the National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA), and opportunities for improving health system efficiency.The paper argues that patient safety should be recognized not only as a healthcare issue but also as a critical component of national health security, public trust, workforce sustainability and sustainable development. The key policy recommendations include strengthening multidisciplinary leadership, institutionalizing patient safety governance through a dedicated federal directorate, supporting workforce welfare, accelerating digital transformation, improving health system efficiency and sustaining healthcare regulatory reforms. These priorities align with the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030 and Nigeria’s broader health sector reform agenda.