Obasanjo proposes $100 flight levy to support African health fund

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has proposed a $100 levy on all international flights into and out of Africa to support the creation of a continental health fund.

He made the proposal at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

The initiative, he said, would reduce Africa’s reliance on external donors and promote long-term financing for health systems across the continent.

Mr Obasanjo said the proposal was inspired by Ghana’s "Ghana Beyond Aid" agenda and could serve as a starting point for what he called an “Africa Health Without Aid” plan.

“I believe we can have a health fund for Africa,” he told participants at the summit. “The source to start with could be something like $100 for flying into Africa or flying out of Africa, but not for travelling within Africa.”

He suggested that the African Development Bank should manage the proposed fund.

He cited the African Union’s peace fund, which is already being used to support conflict resolution efforts on the continent, as a working example.

Mr Obasanjo recalled that during his time as the AU’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, efforts to mediate in Ethiopia were delayed because the AU was waiting for support from European or American sources.

He contrasted that with a more recent case, where the AU quickly released $1 million from its peace fund to support mediation between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

“That is progress,” he said.

The summit brought together several former and current African leaders, including former Malawian President Joyce Banda and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. 

Outlining a three-tiered approach to building self-sufficient health systems, Mr Obasanjo said the first step should be the increased use of traditional medicine at the household and community levels.

He recalled a discussion with pharmaceutical industry representatives nearly 15 years ago, in which they indicated that 80 per cent of drugs found in pharmacies originated from herbs.

“The herbs that we have in our villages and rural areas are useful,” he said. “At the family and community level, we can use more herbs than we are using in traditional medicine.”

At the national level, Mr Obasanjo recommended scaling up health insurance systems. He proposed that a portion of health insurance funding, up to 25 per cent, should be allocated to strengthen healthcare delivery and related infrastructure.

He added that while Africa must take the lead, international cooperation remains necessary. “A pandemic, as we have seen, knows no geographical boundary, knows no borders,” he said.

Mr Obasanjo urged African countries to adopt the slogan “Africa Health Without Aid”, but to still work with international partners in solidarity.