Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo has proposed a $100 levy on all international flights into and out of Africa to finance a continental health fund aimed at reducing dependence on foreign aid.
Speaking at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra on August 5, 2025, Obasanjo said the initiative draws inspiration from Ghana’s “Ghana Beyond Aid” policy and could lay the foundation for an “Africa Health Without Aid” plan.
He suggested the African Development Bank manage the fund and cited the African Union’s peace fund as a successful model of self-reliant financing.
The former president emphasized the importance of sustainable funding for African health systems, highlighting past challenges faced by the AU in conflict mediation due to delays in donor support.
He referenced his time as AU Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, contrasting delayed efforts in Ethiopia with the swift release of $1 million for mediation between the DRC and Rwanda.
Obasanjo also proposed a three-tier strategy to build resilient health systems, starting with the promotion of traditional medicine at the community level.
The summit featured several prominent African leaders, including former Malawian President Joyce Banda and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
