Abuja:The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a substantial financial commitment to health initiatives, spending approximately $280 million on immunisation and planning an additional $539 million for tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV programmes across the nation. Dr. Ado Muhammad, Special Assistant to the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, shared this information during a health financing panel at the 2026 Joint Annual Review in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Muhammad highlighted the need for state governments to share funding responsibilities for major health interventions and sustain essential programmes nationwide. He stressed the importance of state contributions to ensure sustainable funding for health initiatives, stating that discussions are underway with the National Economic Council to propose shared financial responsibilities.
Dr. Muhammad emphasized that health financing should focus on budget releases, expenditure, and accountability, rather than merely approved allocations. He called on state governments to ensure that health funds are appropriately released and spent, with measurable outcomes and accountability mechanisms in place to enhance healthcare delivery and public trust.
Further insights were provided by Dr. Francis Ayomoh, Head of Health Financing Division, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, who noted an improvement in government health expenditure, though domestic financing remains inadequate. He presented data indicating that government health expenditure as a share of total health expenditure increased significantly from 13.3% in 2015 to 26.4% in 2024.
Ayomoh also highlighted that despite a decrease in out-of-pocket expenditure, it still exceeds the country’s target levels. He urged the strengthening of domestic resource mobilization and development of sustainable financing mechanisms, given the fluctuations in donor funding.
In a related discussion, Dr. Abdul-Aziz Adams from Kogi State and Dr. Mohammed Safana from Katsina State shared their experiences in aligning health budgets with targeted interventions and increasing allocations to meet international benchmarks. Both emphasized the importance of efficient financial processes and the establishment of health trust funds to ensure the execution of health projects.
The 2026 Joint Annual Review, themed “Together to Higher Grounds Make the Data Count,” serves as a platform for federal and state governments, development partners, and stakeholders to review health sector performance and strategize future initiatives.