By Abujah Racheal
Abuja, Nov. 11, 2022 Health Advocates (NA4H) under the aegis of a coalition of civil society groups in health sector, have called for an increase in the 2023 proposed health budget, especially in Family family.
Alhaji Mohammed Usman, the Chairman NA4H, at a news conference in Abuja, described the 5.7 per cent allocation as grossly inadequate, given the country’s population of over 200 million.
According to him, there is an urgent need to also increase funding for family planning commodities.
Usman said it was regrettable that the government failed to fund family planning in 2022 and the proposed 2023 had no provision for such.
He said that in spite of the population growth leading to high rate of maternal deaths, insecurity and poverty, the country was yet to accord the desired funding for a sustainable population.
He, however, called on the National Assembly to review the proposed health budget to ensure adequate funding in the final budget.
“In a situation where the current proposed budget is less than N6,000 per head is a very low investment for health of Nigerians.
“There is need for the inclusion of the four million dollars as contained in the nation’s commitment in providing one per cent of its budget to family planning, and improving family planning services through contraceptive use, interventions and counterpart funding.
“We called on the government to also increase the current 5.7 per cent to the 15 per cent agreed at Abuja Declaration.
He said government should also maintain the one per cent Basic Healthcare Provision Funds as a statutory transfer as provided in the National Health Act,” he added.
Usman also called for an increase in funding for polio eradication and other child-killer disease.
Speaking, Mrs Chika Offor, founder of Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), said budgeting for health was beyond allocation.
Offor added that government must ensure better implementation, utilisation of funds and evaluation to achieve a vibrant sector.
Offor said that the budget process enabled health officials to understand the mechanisms used to allocate resources for the health sector.
“Taking an active engagement helps align the budget process with health sector priorities, directing resources towards current and evolving health needs.
“However, knowing the full cost of producing a patient service allows a health care organisation to determine if a payment is adequate,” Offor said.
Similarly, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabni, District Head of Gagi, Sokoto, said that making the case for increased budget allocation to the health sector was critical if more domestic resources were to be garnered for financing universal health coverage (UHC).
Jabni, who is also Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning, said that the 2001 African Union (AU) meeting in Abuja, which hosted Heads of State, pledged to devote at least 15 per cent of their annual budgets to improve the health sector.
He said that this was a feat that Nigeria was yet to achieve.
He stated that in the 2023 budget, the provision for health at N1.58 trillion, was eight per cent and inadequate.
Jabni said that investments in family planning were an investment in saving the lives of women and children, adding that it would also lead to prosperity for all.
“Family planning, therefore, is critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals which are aimed at ending poverty and improving wellness and health.
“It is also key to achieving ending hunger as well as promoting gender equality.
“That’s why a country as populous as Nigeria needs to promptly release the budget for the procurement of Family Planning (FP) commodities,” Jabni said.
Naija247news, reports that the total sum allocated to the Ministry of Health out of the overall expenditure of the proposed N20.5 trillion in 2023 is N1.097 trillion, inclusive of the N47.6 billion provided for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
This is 5.35 per cent of the proposed budget expenditure. This is about one-third of the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration commitment.
However, other provisions in the proposed health budget include provisions for the National Health Insurance Scheme fund of MDAs, N105.7 billion; for military retirees N4.4 bullion; for Corps members N5 billion and GAVI/Immunisation counterpart funding N69.5 billion.
When the amount is added to the allocation of the Ministry of Health, It is still less than 50 per cent of the Abuja Declaration commitment.
NAN recalls that the Federal Government formally launched the 2030 FP commitment in March.
Nigeria’s commitment to allocate one per cent of its health budget to family planning both at federal and state levels as part of efforts to achieve the FP2030 requires concerted efforts and innovative financing.
📌 Editor’s Note: For content partnerships and collaborations, reach out via editor@naija247news.com
Naija247news Media Group LLC is committed to ethical, independent journalism that serves the public interest. Our editorial process prioritizes accuracy, fairness, and transparency in reporting. All content is fact-checked and held to the highest standards of integrity. Learn more in our full editorial policy here.
© 2025 Naija247news Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from Naija247news Media Group LLC.
Reporting by Naija247news in Lagos, Nigeria.
