By Muhammad Amaan with agency report
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has criticised the Federal Government for what it described as the paltry allocation to the health sector, noting that the proposed N2.48 trillion for 2026 amounts to approximately N10,400 per citizen for the fiscal year.
The NMA said the amount allocated to the health sector is unacceptable and grossly inadequate.
This estimate is based on the N2.48 trillion health sector allocation contained in President Bola Tinubu’s N58.18 trillion Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, and the United Nations Population Fund’s estimated 237.5 million population for Nigeria.
The amount translates to roughly N870 per citizen per month for healthcare services across the country.
The allocation comes against the backdrop of the Abuja Declaration, which recommended that African Union member states dedicate at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to healthcare spending.
The allocation represents about 4.3 per cent of the total budget, significantly below the Abuja Declaration benchmark.
Speaking with The Punch on Sunday, the Secretary-General of the NMA, Dr Benjamin Egbo, criticised the Federal Government for the paltry allocation to the health sector.
“The amount allocated to health is simply unacceptable and grossly inadequate.
Even though, cumulatively, it is an improvement on previous budgets, it still falls below the Abuja Declaration benchmark of 15 per cent, and that is our major concern.
“At the end of the day, the allocation amounts to about N10,000 for each Nigerian, and that is unacceptable. We have told them that we cannot accept it; it is suboptimal. The truth is that Nigeria cannot improve its healthcare indices if the budgetary allocation does not significantly increase.
“Unfortunately, the Minister of Health is presenting statistics that are not in tandem with what we see on the ground, and that is why we are concerned. If more funds are allocated to the health sector, things will definitely improve,” Egbo said.
He demanded that the Federal Government increase health budgetary allocation to at least 10 per cent.
“The Joint Health Sector Unions are on strike, and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors may also go on strike if nothing is done to address their demands. All of these issues stem from inadequate budgetary allocation.
“We are totally against this paltry allocation to health. By now, we should be targeting at least 10 per cent, not four or five per cent. It is quite unfortunate that the Federal Government does not seem to value the health sector,” he added.
Checks by our correspondent showed that this year’s N2.48tn allocation was the same as last year’s. Although it represented about 5.18 per cent of the total 2025 budget, it still fell short of the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration target.
In November, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the Federal Government was working to raise Nigeria’s health allocation to six per cent in the 2026 national budget.
Pate, who spoke at the National Health Dialogue organised by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development in partnership with Premium Times, stated, “We expect the 2026 budget to move closer to six per cent health allocation, which will be the highest ever in our federal spending.”
Also, at the National Council on Health in Calabar, the Minister urged state governments to increase their health sector allocations as part of efforts to enhance healthcare delivery and accelerate progress toward achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Prof Pate urged states to ensure a minimum one per cent increase in their health budgets for 2026 compared with 2025, highlighting the importance of investing in primary healthcare, hospitals, medical equipment, vaccines, and reproductive health commodities.
According to him, the Federal Government also expects at least a 0.6 per cent increase in the proportion of health spending in the federal budget.
He said, “As we look forward, we expect faster progress for Nigeria in terms of reaching the universal health coverage targets. But we’re still far below where we need to be. Quality health is not cheap. You have to invest in it.
“As we approach 2026, we’re working diligently to advocate for a 0.6 per cent increase in the portion of health in the Federal Government budget, aiming to reach at least six per cent.
“Already, we are at an unprecedented level in terms of prioritisation of health in the federal budget, thanks to Mr President. But we need to continue to build, because the infrastructure is there to deliver it, and the results are beginning to show.
“So, I urge each of the states and Your Excellencies (the Commissioners of Health) to convey our message to all state governors. We hope that in 2026, each state will see at least a one per cent increase in its health budget relative to 2025, so that the states also increase their contribution to health.”
With global aid shrinking, Nigeria’s ability to increase its domestic investment in health will be essential for improving outcomes and sustaining progress.
Health experts say that with global funding cuts, it is essential for Nigeria to boost domestic financing for health to address the country’s long-standing healthcare challenges, including inadequate facilities, limited personnel, rising treatment costs, and heavy dependence on out-of-pocket spending.
