Nigeria expected to raise N150bn for procurement of live-saving Vaccines

Thursday, November 13, 2025 - Nigeria plans to raise N150 bil­lion over the next two years to fund vaccine procurement and epidemic preparedness as part of sweeping reforms to strengthen the country’s health system and fiscal base under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Fi­nance, Mr. Wale Edun, disclosed this in Abuja at the 2025 Joint An­nual Health Sector Review (JAR), themed “All Hands, One Mission.”

He said the move is part of broader efforts to stabilise the economy, expand fiscal space, and ensure that social sectors such as health and education receive in­creased funding.

“The turnaround in the econ­omy has begun. Distortions are being removed, the economy is stabilising, and social sectors like health are benefiting significantly,” Edun said, noting that the federal health budget rose by nearly 60 percent, while the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) will grow from N131.5 billion in 2024 to almost N299 billion in 2026,” he said.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the fed­eral government’s reforms have yielded measurable progress in maternal and newborn survival, vaccination coverage, and access to quality healthcare.

He revealed that maternal deaths have declined by 17 percent, newborn deaths by 12 percent, and over 15,000 new health workers have been recruited nationwide.

“All 36 states and the FCT now have operational health plans aligned with national priorities. Citizen trust is rising, with 55 per­cent of Nigerians expressing con­fidence in the reforms,” Pate said.

He emphasised the govern­ment’s plan to strengthen local vaccine production, expand in­surance coverage, and sustain transparency through digital tools and health-focused taxes on sugary drinks.

Minister of Budget and Nation­al Planning, Senator Atiku Bagu­du, identified Nigeria’s low reve­nue-to-GDP ratio below 8 percent since 2007 as a major constraint to growth, saying President Tinubu has directed economic managers to raise it to 18 percent by 2026 through comprehensive tax and fiscal reforms.

“We are focusing on mobilizing revenue and investing strategically to fund national priorities, includ­ing health,” Bagudu stated.

He added that under a World Bank-supported ward-level map­ping initiative, all 8,809 wards across Nigeria’s 774 local govern­ments are being integrated into a coordinated planning framework that aligns with state and national development goals.

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle Salako, said implemen­tation of the Nigerian Health Sec­tor Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) could save the economy up to N4.8 trillion annually from preventable diseases and reduce N850 billion lost to medical tour­ism.

He noted that over 500 new high-impact projects, 13 tertiary hospitals, and six cancer centres of excellence are underway across the country, reflecting the admin­istration’s commitment to health system transformation.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has called for deeper collaboration and accountability between the federal and state governments to strength­en Nigeria’s health system. Speak­ing through a representative at the Second Joint Annual Health Sec­tor Review in Abuja, AbdulRazaq commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare un­der the leadership of Prof. Mu­hammad Ali Pate for sustaining a culture of transparency and joint review that promotes shared re­sponsibility in achieving universal health coverage.

AbdulRazaq noted that the dis­bursement of N32.9 billion under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the new sector-wide ap­proach have become game-chang­ers in driving primary healthcare delivery at the subnational level.

“For the first time, states are clear on the support reaching them from the federal government, and this clarity will strengthen opera­tional planning and measurable results,” he said.

He added that initiatives like the National Health Fellowship and maternal and newborn mor­tality reduction programmes show growing alignment across all levels of government.

“Our mission is not abstract; it is about saving lives, restoring trust, and delivering hope. Achiev­ing universal health coverage requires all hands federal, state, and local working together in one mission,” AbdulRazaq affirmed.

The highlight of the review was the expansion of the Health Sector Renewal Compact, origi­nally signed in 2023 by the Federal Government, states, and develop­ment partners, to now include local governments, traditional rulers, the private sector, and civil society, reinforcing the theme of unified national action.

This is as the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has called for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s health sector, describing it as one of the most neglected yet critical pillars of the nation’s development.

Obi made the call on Wednes­day during a courtesy visit to the College of Nursing, Oluyoro Catholic Hospital, Ibadan, where he emphasised the urgent need for reforms to revitalise the country’s healthcare system.

Speaking with staff and stu­dents of the institution, the former Anambra State governor decried the poor state of the sector, citing inadequate investment in human capital, decaying infrastructure, and the massive exodus of medical professionals in search of better opportunities abroad.

He lamented that the persistent neglect of healthcare had deep­ened poverty, widened inequality, and eroded citizens’ confidence in public institutions meant to safe­guard their well-being.

“You cannot talk about econom­ic growth when your people are not healthy,” Obi said. “A productive nation is one where its citizens have access to quality healthcare, where hospitals are functional, and where medical workers are adequately motivated,” he added.

The LP standard bearer stressed that meaningful economic progress cannot be achieved with­out prioritising citizens’ health and education, adding that Nige­ria’s development efforts had been misplaced over the years.

“We have spent years celebrat­ing the wrong things. When we invest in people, especially in the health and education sectors, we are building the real foundation for national progress. Unfortunately, our priorities have been wrong for too long,” he added.

Obi called for policy reforms that would retain skilled medical personnel and make Nigerian hos­pitals attractive workplaces rather than transit points for profession­als planning to relocate abroad.

“Government should see healthcare as a security issue because a sick nation cannot de­fend itself or compete globally,” he noted.

As part of his contribution to improving the sector, Obi an­nounced a donation of N10 million to the College of Nursing, Oluyoro Catholic Hospital. He explained that the gesture was aimed at en­hancing teaching and learning fa­cilities, supporting the training of nurses, and improving the overall learning environment.

“This N10 million donation is not about politics,” he stated. “I have been going around the coun­try contributing to educational and health institutions because these are the foundations upon which national development is built.”

Obi said his interventions were driven by a deep sense of responsi­bility to give back to society and to inspire others to do the same.