Health Agencies Demands for More Budgetary Allocation for 2025

By Oluwakemi Kindness

Some Health Agencies in the country on Tuesday appealed for more budgetary allocation in the 2025 Budget.

The agencies including the National Primary Healthcare, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Medical And Dental Council Of Nigeria, and the National Health Insurance Authority, made their appeal when they appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Institutions for it budget defense, in Abuja.

This is as the chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Institutions, Amos Magaji, said a functional healthcare system can curb corruption in Nigeria. He noted that the greatest burden on Nigerians is how to pay for healthcare.

In his presentation before the Magaji led committee, the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina, proposed forty eight point one four seven eight billion naira as its 2025 Budget.

He said the agency despite having the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and Vaccine Immunisation Funds as alternative finances, the government needs to increase the agency’s budget for optimum performance.

Dr. Aina revealed that budgetary release for 2024 was low but hopes for better release in 2025.

Similarly, the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, said it proposal for the 2025 Budget, stands at Seven point three eight Billion naira.

Dr Idris said that the amount would help Nigeria in combating disease outbreaks in the country.

He told the committee that Nigeria is combating eight disease outbreaks currently.

” We are ready for any outbreak because we have built capacity. We don’t expect anything but we are monitoring.Preparedness is ongoing in the area of research and collaborations with other agencies. Web have engaged with all the state governments to develop their surveillance. Our own is to support them”. Dr. Idris said.

Also, the Registrar, Medical And Dental Council Of Nigeria, Dr Fatima Kyari, said it would require one hundred and thirteen billion naira for its 2025 operations.

She said the agency did not get any allocation in 2024 as it was taken off the budgetary system.

“We were not part of the 2024 budget because we were not part of the budgeting process. The funds we got was from another source and from doctors registration”. Dr. Kyari said.

She however explained that the council survived on fees from doctors registration and other levies.

Meanwhile, the Director General, National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri is asking for one hundred and thirty billion for 2025.

Dr. Ohiri, said the fund would be used to tackle low health insurance coverage in Nigeria .

He said as at 2024, nineteen point four million Nigerians are covered by NHIA while two point five million Nigerians are covered by Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

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