Health experts have expressed concern over the Federal Government’s proposed N2.48 trillion allocation to the health sector in the 2026 budget, describing it as inadequate and a clear indication that health has not been prioritised.
Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere, said the health allocation represents only about 4.28 per cent of the N58.18 trillion budget, far below the 15 per cent benchmark set under the 2001 Abuja Declaration.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, in December 2025, presented the N58.18 trillion 2026 budget proposal to the National Assembly, with N2.48 trillion earmarked for health, amounting to just over four per cent of the total expenditure.
Onyekpere called for a significant increase in health sector funding, noting that the real challenge goes beyond budgetary figures to the timely release and effective utilisation of appropriated funds. Drawing from past budget implementation experiences, he said, poor releases have consistently undermined sectoral performance.
In a chat with The Guardian, he stressed that health financing should not rely solely on federal and state government allocations. He explained that the implementation of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, 2022, which mandates compulsory health insurance, could generate no less than N7 trillion yearly in premiums to complement public funding.
According to him, this would create momentum towards achieving universal health coverage. He urged the NHIA and state health insurance agencies to fully enforce the compulsory health insurance regime in line with their statutory responsibilities.
Also speaking with The Guardian, a Professor of Organisational Psychology at Nasarawa State University, Prof. Emmanuel Alhassan, described the N2.48 trillion allocations as grossly inadequate to address the numerous challenges facing the health sector.
He noted that poor fund releases have compounded existing problems, citing the 2025 budget, where releases were extremely low. “For instance, out of over N300 billion earmarked for immunisation, only about N68 billion was released,” he said.
Alhassan emphasised the need for the Federal Government to prioritise disease prevention in the 2026 budget and ensure the timely release of funds, stressing that vaccines are critical life-saving tools in preventing disease outbreaks.
He also pointed out that the government has obligations under the recently signed $2.1 billion bilateral agreement with the United States, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health system and supporting HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio programmes.
Under the agreement, Nigeria is expected to allocate at least six per cent of its national budget to health annually over the next five years. Alhassan said this underscores the need to increase the health sector allocation to a minimum of six per cent of the total budget.
“Unlike the Abuja Declaration, which had no legal backing or penalties for non-compliance, this agreement is tied to a binding memorandum of understanding,” he said. “Failure to meet the six per cent commitment could jeopardise the $2.1 billion funding from the United States. At the very least, the government must raise the health allocation to six per cent and prioritise immunisation financing.”
