…Health budget rises 60% as Tinubu’s reforms deliver measurable gains in maternal, newborn survival
By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government says Nigeria’s health sector is recording measurable progress, with significant improvement in maternal and newborn survival, vaccination coverage, and health service utilisation nationwide.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2025 Joint Annual Health Sector Review (JAR) themed “All Hands, All Mission,” the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the administration plans to raise ₦150 billion over the next two years to finance vaccine procurement and epidemic preparedness.
He explained that the funding plan would be anchored on sustainable health financing mechanisms, including taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, expanded private sector participation, and deployment of digital systems to ensure transparency.
Pate said 84 percent of key health reform indicators are currently on track under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, with 35 States now conducting annual health reviews and citizens actively participating in monitoring outcomes.
“All 36 States and the FCT now have operational health plans aligned with national priorities,” the minister stated, adding that 72 percent of States have established mechanisms for managing non-communicable diseases.
According to him, maternal deaths have declined by 17 percent and newborn deaths by 12 percent across 172 high-burden local government areas. Over 15,000 new health workers have been recruited, 435 primary healthcare facilities revitalised, and access to skilled birth attendants increased by 33 percent.
Visits to primary health facilities funded through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) have risen from 10 million in early 2024 to 45 million by mid-2025, while immunisation coverage for measles, yellow fever, and HPV improved significantly, alongside a 10 percent increase in family planning uptake.
Pate also revealed that citizen trust in government health reforms has climbed to 55 percent, while patient satisfaction stands at 74 percent. He acknowledged, however, that affordability and health insurance coverage—currently at 12 percent—remain key challenges.
“In the past year, over 20,000 frontline workers have been recruited in federal tertiary hospitals. The President has also approved over ₦50 billion to clear outstanding allowances and address workforce challenges that have persisted for years,” he said.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, disclosed that the 2025 Federal Health Budget rose by nearly 60 percent, with the BHCPF increasing from ₦131.5 billion in 2024 to ₦299 billion in 2026.
He said the health sector’s share of the national budget had grown from just over 3 percent to 5.2 percent, describing it as part of a broader effort to stabilise the economy and strengthen social sectors.
“Distortions are being removed, the economy is stabilizing, and social sectors like health are benefiting significantly,” Edun stated, urging States and Local Governments to commit more of their revenue gains to health and education.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, identified Nigeria’s low revenue-to-GDP ratio—below 8 percent since 2007—as a constraint on growth.
He said the government is addressing this through improved revenue mobilisation and strategic investments, including the forthcoming 2026–2050 National Development Plan.
Bagudu added that through a World Bank-supported ward-level mapping initiative, all 8,809 wards across 774 LGAs would have coordinated health plans feeding into State and national priorities.
Similarly, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Adekunle Salako, said the Renewed Hope Agenda is transforming Nigeria’s health system through infrastructure renewal, workforce expansion, and digital integration.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not just a promise, it is a covenant to safeguard the health of our people,” Salako declared.
He disclosed that over 500 new high-impact projects, 13 tertiary institutions, six cancer centres of excellence, and 21 strategic policies have been implemented to drive the health system reforms.
Salako added that the full implementation of the National Health Sector Renewal and Investment Initiative (NHSRII) could save Nigeria ₦4.8 trillion annually from preventable diseases and retain ₦850 billion lost to medical tourism.