By Abujah Racheal
Stakeholders and analysts in the health sector have warned of a funding gap for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as the sector gets N2.48 trillion in the 2026 proposed budget.
They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Abuja, on Saturday, while reacting to the proposed budget for 2026, presented by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly on Friday.
The noted that the proposed allocation fell significantly short of the 15 per cent benchmark agreed by African Union countries under the 2001 Abuja Declaration on Health Financing.
They also said that the implications of the proposed allocation would be felt most sharply in maternal and child health outcomes; an area where Nigeria had continued to face significant challenges.
According to them, at 15 per cent, Nigeria would have allocated about ₦8.73 trillion to health in 2026, but with the current proposed budget for the sector, there is a funding gap of roughly ₦6.25 trillion.
They further noted that though the health allocation was similar in nominal terms to the 2025 figure, its share of the overall budget had declined.
This they said raises concerns about the sector’s ability to meet growing population needs amid inflation and currency pressures.
Tinubu had proposed an allocation of ₦2.48 trillion to the health sector in the ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, representing about 4.3 per cent of the total budget.
Presenting the budget, tagged “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity”, he identified health as one of the priority sectors alongside security, education, infrastructure and agriculture.
He said that the allocation would support healthcare delivery, disease prevention, maternal and child health, and health system strengthening, while ensuring accountability in the use of domestic and donor resources.
However a review of federal health allocations over the last five years showed the health budget increased from ₦550 billion in 2021 to ₦2.48 trillion in 2025.
The health sector share remained low, around four to five per cent of total budget, far below the 15 per cent “Abuja Declaration” target.
Although allocations increased in absolute terms, the sector has yet to gain significant priority in the overall federal budget.
Persistent underfunding continues to constrain primary healthcare, maternal and child health services, and progress toward UHC.
Nigeria’s health sector financing framework is anchored on the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), established under the National Health Act (2014).
This is to ensure sustainable funding for primary healthcare services, particularly for women, children and vulnerable populations.
The BHCPF is financed through at least one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, complemented by development partner contributions and grants.
Experts therefore warned that low overall budgetary allocation to health could limit the effectiveness of the BHCPF, especially at the primary healthcare level where most maternal, newborn and child health services are delivered.
A health policy analyst, Dr Ibrahim Musa, told NAN that while the BHCPF remained a critical reform, its impact is constrained by broader fiscal pressures.
“The BHCPF cannot function optimally in isolation. When total health spending is low, releases become unpredictable, counterpart funding at the state level weakens, and primary healthcare facilities struggle to sustain essential services,” he said.
He noted that services such as antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, immunisation and basic emergency obstetric care were among the most affected by funding shortfalls.
Similarly, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and legal residents, requires sustained public financing to expand coverage, particularly for the poor and those in the informal sector.
Similarly, Mrs Maimuna Abdullahi, Health Economist, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) said the success of NHIA reforms depended largely on adequate budgetary backing.
“Mandatory health insurance is a major step forward, but without sufficient public funding, many states will struggle to enrol vulnerable groups.
“Universal Health Coverage will remain elusive if insurance is out of reach for the poorest households,” Abdullahi said.
She added that inadequate investment could sustain high out-of-pocket health spending, exposing households to catastrophic health expenditure.
A public health economist, Dr Amina Lawal, told NAN that allocating just over four per cent of the national budget to health raises concerns about Nigeria’s capacity to reduce preventable maternal and child deaths.
“Maternal and child health indicators are highly sensitive to funding.
“Without increased investment in primary healthcare, skilled health workers, medicines and referral systems, progress will remain slow,” Lawal said.
In the same vein, a maternal health advocate, Mrs Grace Okonkwo, said pregnant women and children were often the first to suffer when health facilities are under-resourced.
According to her, UH cannot be achieved if primary healthcare remains underfunded.
“Investment in maternal and child health is also an investment in productivity and national development,” Okonkwo said. (NAN)