The Minister of Health has revealed that the ministry was unable to utilise capital component of its 2025 budget
The Minister of Health, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, has disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health was unable to utilise its 2025 capital budget after receiving just ₦36 million out of the ₦218 billion appropriated for the year.
Prof. Pate made the disclosure on Monday while defending the Ministry’s 2026 budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services.
He told lawmakers that although the ministry’s personnel budget was fully released and exhausted, the capital component suffered major setbacks, largely due to the bottom-up cash planning system operated by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The minister also revealed that delays in the release of Nigeria’s counterpart contributions prevented the Ministry from accessing certain counterpart funds, further stalling the implementation of the 2025 capital budget.
He attributed the situation to unforeseen circumstances that hampered project execution across the sector.
Providing an overview of the policy framework guiding the health sector, Prof. Pate said Nigeria’s health system is anchored on Vision 20:2020, the Medium-Term National Development Plan (NDP) 2021–2025 and the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) II.
According to him, both the Nigerian Constitution and the National Health Act are aimed at guaranteeing the right to health for all Nigerians, while the 2016 National Health Policy provides the framework for translating the Act and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into improved health outcomes and wellbeing.
“The principles of Universal Health Coverage are central to the National Health Policy objective of strengthening Nigeria’s health system, especially the Primary Health Care subsystem, to deliver quality, effective, efficient, equitable, accessible, affordable, acceptable and comprehensive health services to all Nigerians,” the minister said.
Prof. Pate further explained that the policies and strategies underpinning the 2026 budget were drawn from the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP), which outlines the Federal Government’s development priorities.
He added that the 2026 budget proposal was prepared using the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), in line with the National Development Plan 2021–2025, which prioritises need-based allocation and justification of resources.
The proposal, he noted, aligns with the policy direction and execution priorities of the Federal Government, as well as the ministerial deliverables of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The minister said the 2026 budget is anchored on the 2016 National Health Policy and guided by the Federal Ministry of Health’s Strategic Blueprint Initiatives, which serve as key policy instruments for advancing Universal Health Coverage.
He noted that the 2016 National Health Policy, themed “Promoting the Health of Nigerians to Accelerate Socio-economic Development,” provides the foundation for the National Strategic Health Development Plan II and supports the accelerated implementation of the National Health Act, 2014.
In his response, the Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, Rep. Amos Gwamna Magaji, directed the minister to submit all relevant documents relating to donor funds received by the ministry, including details of how such funds were utilised.
