The Minister of Health and Social and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, has disclosed that the ministry received only 15.06 per cent of the total capital allocation to the sector in 2024.

He stated this while speaking during his 2025 budget defence presentation before the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Health on Friday.

He said the 15.06 percent amounted to N26.552 billion out of the N233.656 allocated to the Ministry for capital projects in the 2024 budget which was released to the ministry and utilised.

Prof. Pate however informed the committee that the ministry was yet to receive anything from the N57.393 billion captured under the multilateral/bilateral loan for capital projects.

Giving a review of the 2024 budget, the minister informed that the total budget for the ministry in 2024 was N242,141,830,564.51 made of N7,476,463,610 for personnel, N998,739,547 for overhead and N233,656,627,407.51 for capital.

He however Informed that the amount was slightly improved in the 2025 budget estimates to N10,361,373,890.69 for personnel, N1,590,382,403 for overhead and N248,316,907,133 for capital.

According to the minister, Nigeria?s health sector is guided by the Vision 20:2020, the medium term (National Development Plan 2021-2025 and the National Strategic Health Development Plan.)

He further explained that the main objective of the Constitution and the National Health Act is to guarantee the right to health for all Nigerians.

He noted that the 2016 National Health Policy provides an implementation framework to translate the provisions of the national health Act and Sustainable Development Goals into healthy and wellbeing for all Nigerians.

According to him, the universal health coverage is central to the goal of the national health policy which is to strengthen Nigeria?s health system, particularly the primary health care system to deliver quality, efficient, equitable, accessible, acceptable and comprehensive health care system to all Nigerians.

He explained further that the policies and strategies of the 2025 budget are derivable from the 2025-2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper which outlines the development priorities of the government.

The minister said, ?The year 2025 proposed budget of the ministry was prepared using the budget preparation system on the GIFTS platform which is compatible with the National Development Plan 2021-2025 approach which demands justification and allocation of resources to projects and programmes in a given year based on needs and aligning with the policy of government, especially as encapsulated in the core objectives and execution priorities.

?The Federal Ministry of Health budget proposal for 2025 is based on the National Health Policy 2016 and are guided by the new Strategic Blueprint Initiative which are the health sector policy instruments for achieving the ministerial deliverables of the federal government and the global agenda of universal health coverage.

?The National Health Policy with the theme ?Promoting the health of Nigerians to accelerate socio economic development? provides the basis for the national strategic health development plan and the supporting framework for accelerated implementation of the national health act?.

Prof Pate informed the lawmakers that despite the challenges in the country, the health sector had improved saying that, government provided world class facilities in hospitals across the country, building health infrastructure and qualified manpower.

He said, ?We have the required qualified manpower in the country and that is why other countries are looking for our medical personnel?.

He added that the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 2024 had helped in improved local drug production as many local manufacturers had been taking advantage of it to improve their facilities. (Daily Trust)

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