Manny Ita –
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Health has officially recommended a ₦2.136 trillion allocation for the health sector in the 2026 fiscal year, specifically advocating for dedicated “take-off grants” to operationalize four newly established federal tertiary health institutions. During the submission of the harmonized budget report on Wednesday, the committee identified the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia; the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Akure; the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo; and the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ila-Orangun as the primary beneficiaries requiring urgent start-up funding.
Senator Ipalibo Banigo, Chairperson of the Joint Committee, emphasized that these grants are vital to prevent the new facilities from becoming dormant projects before they can begin saving lives. She stated that the funding would provide “critical start-up funding to address immediate operational needs,” further explaining that “the grants were essential to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the new health facilities.” Without these dedicated funds, the committee warned that the newly created institutions might struggle to meet the expectations of their host communities and the broader national healthcare mandate.
The proposed ₦2.136 trillion expenditure framework includes ₦1.17 trillion for personnel costs, ₦57.03 billion for overhead, and ₦924.25 billion for capital expenditure. Senator Banigo noted that the government is targeting an allocation equivalent to six percent of the total national budget, net of liabilities, to strengthen healthcare delivery. “The aim is to revitalise our hospitals with medication and better resources and care for all Nigerians by procuring essential drugs for distribution to the public, ensuring quality healthcare facilities nationwide,” she said during the presentation to the Committee on Appropriations.
The move comes amid significant concern regarding the performance of previous budgets, as the committee observed that many hospitals have yet to receive the full release of their 2024 and 2025 appropriations. Highlighting the gap between legislation and implementation, it was noted that some facilities received as little as 30 to 60 percent of their allocated funds in the previous cycle. Deputy Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Tahir Monguno, has however assured that the funding concerns for the 2026 cycle would be prioritized to ensure that the “take-off” of these new teaching hospitals is not stalled by administrative delays.
