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For the year 2025, the Federal Government and 21 states across Nigeria have set aside N3.846 trillion for the healthcare sector, a sum that accounts for just 6.02 percent of the proposed N63.898 trillion national budget. The modest allocation underscores the ongoing debate about the adequacy of health funding in the country.
This allocation falls significantly short of global standards, including the World Health Organisation’s recommended 13 percent and the African Union’s Abuja Declaration of 2001, which advocates dedicating 15 percent of national budgets to healthcare.
So far, 33 states across the federation have unveiled their financial plans for 2025, with Imo, Kwara, and Rivers still withholding their budgetary details. Their forthcoming announcements will complete the national picture.
Out of the 33 states that have unveiled their 2025 budgets, only 21 have disclosed their healthcare allocations, as gleaned from official state websites and the budget presentations made by their governors to their respective Houses of Assembly.
Among the 21 states that revealed their healthcare spending plans, only five—Kano (16.50%), Kaduna (16.07%), Borno (15.39%), Benue (15.09%), and Abia (15%)—satisfied both the World Health Organisation’s and African Union’s targeted benchmarks. Ogun, with a 13% allocation, met the WHO’s recommendation.
The rest including the Federal Government fell behind grossly.
In his N47.9 trillion 2025 budget presentation at the National Assembly, yesterday, President Bola Tinubu allocated N2.48 trillion or 5.18 per cent to Healthcare.
States that made least allocations to Health include Bayelsa (2.77 per cent), Delta (3.12 per cent), Cross River (4.22 per cent) and Enugu (4.72 per cent).
The others include Anambra (9.39 per cent), Ebonyi (9.84 per cent), Lagos (6.79 per cent), Ondo (7 per cent), Oyo (8.76 per cent), and Gombe (10 per cent).
The rest are Edo (10.56 per cent), Jigawa (5.78 per cent), Katsina (6.34 per cent), Zamfara (11 per cent) and Nasarawa (9.46 per cent).
Read also: Tinubu To Present ₦47.96trn 2025 Budget Proposal To NASS – FG
Abia proposed N750.28b, allocated N38.6b to health, and Anambra has N57.1b out of N607.992b earmarked for healthcare.
In Enugu, it was N45.016b out of N971.8b. Lagos proposed N3.005 trillion and slated N204.005b for health.
Others are Ondo N655.230b (N46.016b) Oyo N678.087b (N59.411b) Borno N584.76b (N89.97b) Gombe N320.11b (N32b) Bayelsa N689.4b (N19.1b) Cross River N498b (N21b) Delta N979.2b (N30.55b) Edo N605b (N63.9b) Jigawa N693.3b (N40.1b) Kaduna N790b (N127b) Kano N549.1b (N90.6b) Katsina N692.245 (43.882b) Zamfara N545.015b (N64.384b) Benue NN550b (N83b) Nasarawa N382.57b N36.2b.
