The Health Sector Reform Coalition of Nigeria (HSRCN) has raised alarm over the continued underfunding of the health sector, calling for an increase in budgetary allocation to at least 10% of the overall vote in the 2026 budget.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the coalition’s Chairperson, Dr. Mustafa Lecky, warned that prolonged underfunding and under-release of capital funds, as witnessed in the 2025 budget, threatens health outcomes, economic productivity, national health security, and social stability.
Lecky cited revelations by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, that only ₦36 million out of ₦218 billion approved for capital projects in 2025 was released. He argued that such under-release erodes institutional confidence, discourages private sector and donor co-investment, and undermines Nigeria’s credibility in global health financing.
He stressed that capital budgets are designed to build resilient systems, not merely sustain recurrent operations, warning that halted construction of primary health care facilities, stalled equipment procurement, delayed health technology investments, and incomplete workforce reforms are consequences of poor capital releases.
Amina Haledu-Muhammad, Programme Delivery Lead of the Africa Health Project Network, revealed that ₦168 billion for immunisation, ₦6 billion for family planning, and ₦80 million for adolescent health remain unreleased, cautioning that delays could reverse gains in primary healthcare.
Similarly, Uzodinma Adirieje, CEO of Afrihealth Optonet Association, described the 0.016% release rate of 2025 capital health funds as a “disaster,” warning that it could compromise vaccine safety and erode donor confidence.
The coalition urged the government to meet at least two-thirds of the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark for health funding, insisting that only sustained investment in infrastructure, technology, and workforce expansion can strengthen Nigeria’s health system and deliver meaningful reform.
By Palma Ileye, Abuja
