President Bola Tinubu has allocated N2.48 trillion to the healthcare sector in the 2025 budget, representing 5.18% of the total ₦47.9 trillion budget.
In his address during the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, Tinubu emphasized that the budget, titled “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” focuses on security, infrastructure, and human capital development as core priorities of his administration.
Sectoral allocations in 2025 budget
The President announced several significant budget allocations, with N2.48 trillion earmarked for healthcare, this allocation is the fourth highest, covering key areas such as infrastructure, basic healthcare, and human capital development.
Additionally, N4.91 trillion was allocated for defense and security, N4.06 trillion for infrastructure, and N3.52 trillion for education.
Commitment to universal health coverage
He highlighted the government’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage initiatives, which aim to strengthen primary healthcare systems across Nigeria.
“In this way, we have allocated 402 billion naira for infrastructure investments in the health sector in the 2025 Budget and another 282.65 billion naira for the Basic Health Care Fund,” Tinubu stated.
Revitalizing healthcare facilities
According to the president, Nigerian hospitals will be revitalized with medication and better resources, ensuring quality care for all Nigerians.
“This is consistent with the Federal Government’s planned procurement of essential drugs for distribution to public healthcare facilities nationwide, improving healthcare access and reducing medical import dependency,” he said.
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Comparative analysis of healthcare budgets
The 2024 federal health budget for Nigeria was ₦1,502,849,443,353, which constituted 5.46% of the total proposed expenditure.
- For 2025, President Tinubu has allocated ₦2.48 trillion to the healthcare sector. Although this marks an increase in absolute terms, the allocation represents only 5.18% of the total budget, a slight decrease from the previous year’s share.
- Despite the increase in funding, the percentage of the national budget allocated to healthcare in 2025 still falls short of the Abuja Declaration’s target. Signed in 2001, the Abuja Declaration calls for 15% of the national budget to be allocated to health to achieve universal health coverage and improve public health outcomes.
- In 23 years, Nigeria’s healthcare budget has consistently failed to meet this commitment, highlighting ongoing challenges in prioritizing healthcare funding.
- Analysts have consistently advocated for an increase in budget allocation, emphasizing that investment in healthcare is a key driver of economic growth. Addressing the funding shortfall is crucial for improving healthcare delivery and achieving sustainable development in Nigeria.
