Nigeria’s Health Budget: A Decade of Promises, Little Progress
In the corridors of Nigerian power, healthcare is often a central topic during election campaigns, but rarely a priority during governance. Over the last decade, successive governments have made lofty promises to improve the nation’s health infrastructure and ensure affordable care for all citizens. Yet, these pledges have frequently ended up as hollow rhetoric, betrayed by annual budgets that consistently fall short.
In 2001, Nigeria signed the Abuja Declaration, committing to allocate at least 15% of its annual budget to the health sector. Over 20 years later, Nigeria has yet to fulfill that promise. Most years, the allocation has hovered around 4% to 6%, far below the continental average. This underfunding has left hospitals in disrepair, medical professionals underpaid, and basic health services inaccessible to a significant portion of the population.
The impact of this chronic neglect is deeply felt in both urban and rural areas. In many state-run hospitals, patients are often required to purchase their own gloves, syringes, or even blood before treatment can begin. Operating theatres suffer from frequent power outages, and modern diagnostic tools are either non-functional or absent altogether. The Nigerian healthcare system is effectively propped up by the resilience of its health workers and the resourcefulness of its people.
Despite some reforms, like the establishment of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), implementation remains slow and patchy. Many Nigerians are still unaware of or unable to access the services that should be covered under the health insurance scheme. Until budgetary priorities are realigned to match political promises, the Nigerian health system will continue to falter, leaving millions at risk.
Sheyicrown
