House of Representatives members on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the declining funding of federal tertiary health institutions, expressing concern that only N36 million was reportedly released out of the N218 billion appropriated for their capital expenditure in the 2025 fiscal year.
The lawmakers expressed the concerns following the adoption of a motion on urgent national importance calling on Federal Government to increase budgetary allocations and improve funding for Federal Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, National Hospital, Abuja, and other tertiary health institutions across the country, sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Patrick Umoh.
In his lead debate, Hon. Umoh expressed concern that only 30 per cent of the health sector’s 2023 capital appropriation was released, while approximately 15.06 per cent of the 2024 capital allocation was released and utilised, a development which undermines the capacity of public hospitals to deliver quality healthcare services.
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He further observed that Nigeria’s federal budgetary allocation to the health sector had remained substantially below the 15 per cent commitment under the 2001 Abuja Declaration, declining from approximately 5.33 per cent in 2023 to 4.20 per cent in the proposed 2026 budget.
While noting that these institutions constitute the backbone of Nigeria’s specialist healthcare delivery system, providing advanced medical services, training healthcare professionals, and conducting medical research, he lamented that the institutions were increasingly confronted with serious operational challenges, including dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate medical equipment, insufficient bed spaces, unreliable electricity supply, rising operational costs, and shortages of specialist medical personnel.
The Akwa Ibom lawmaker also expressed concern that the continued migration of doctors, consultants, nurses, and other skilled healthcare professionals had further weakened the capacity of public health institutions to provide effective specialist medical services.
Hon. Umoh lamented that inadequate funding has contributed to poor infrastructure maintenance, insufficient medical equipment, overcrowding and delays in treatment, forcing many Nigerians to seek medical attention in private hospitals or travel abroad for specialised healthcare services.
He also drew attention to the recently reported case of Ebola in Nigeria, stressing the need to strengthen the country’s tertiary health institutions and improve their preparedness to respond effectively to public health emergencies.
Consequently, the House urged Federal Government to substantially increase budgetary allocations to federal teaching hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, the National Hospital, Abuja, and other tertiary health institutions in the 2027 Supplementary Appropriation Bill and subsequent budgets, in line with their operational needs and responsibilities.
While calling for the establishment of a dedicated tertiary healthcare infrastructure revitalisation programme to rehabilitate dilapidated facilities, expand hospital capacity, and procure modern medical equipment, the House urged Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to conduct a comprehensive assessment of specialist manpower requirements across federal tertiary health institutions and develop an adequately funded recruitment and retention programme.
The House equally urged Federal Government to introduce improved welfare packages, specialist allowances, professional development opportunities, and other incentives to discourage the migration of qualified healthcare professionals from public hospitals.
The House also called on Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to ensure timely and adequate releases of approved budgetary allocations, particularly capital and overhead expenditures, while providing dedicated funding for electricity, water supply, equipment maintenance, and medical consumables.
The lawmakers consequently mandated the House Committee on Health Institutions to engage the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the Federation and management of federal tertiary health institutions to develop a sustainable funding and evaluation framework.
Similarly, the House mandated the Committee to monitor the implementation of the recommendations and report periodically to the House.
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