‘Raise Health Budget or Nigeria Falls Behind’: FG Warns State Governors

• The Federal Government has urged state governors to significantly increase their health budgets in 2026, warning that Nigeria risks falling behind on essential healthcare goals if investment remains low.

The Federal Government has urged state governments to significantly increase their health sector allocations in 2026 as part of a nationwide push to strengthen healthcare delivery and fast-track progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

Speaking at the National Council on Health meeting in Calabar, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, emphasised that meaningful improvements in Nigeria’s health system require adequate and sustained funding from both federal and state governments.

He called on state governments to commit to a minimum 1% increase in their health budgets for 2026, noting that investments must prioritise primary healthcare, hospitals, medical equipment, vaccines, and reproductive health commodities.

According to Pate:

“Quality health is not cheap. You have to invest in it… We hope that in 2026, each state will see at least a one per cent increase in their health budget relative to 2025. That’s our prayer.”

He added that the Federal Government is also working toward raising its own health budget share by 0.6%, aiming to reach 6% allocation in 2026.

Pate stressed that the increased funds would be deployed strictly for essential healthcare needs, with a renewed emphasis on transparency and accountability. He encouraged civil society organisations to actively monitor how health funds are used across states.

Reflecting on previous reforms, Pate recalled the Council’s landmark decisions in Ekiti State two years ago, which set Nigeria on a new trajectory of sector-wide reforms — including expanding primary healthcare, strengthening health insurance, upgrading hospitals, improving health workforce capacity, and integrating digital health technologies.

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He noted that these reforms are already yielding visible results, including:

• 17% reduction in maternal mortality
• Improvements in neonatal survival
• Increased public confidence in Nigeria’s health system

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, represented by Deputy Governor Peter Odey, reaffirmed the Council’s critical role, noting that Nigeria must eliminate out-of-pocket healthcare expenses to protect vulnerable groups.

He highlighted the state’s efforts, including:

• A six-month maternity leave policy
• A primary healthcare-based palliative programme targeting pregnant women, children under 5, and the elderly
• Recognition for strong nutrition standards compliance

Otu added that achieving Universal Health Coverage requires deeper collaboration, stronger political will, and consistent investment across all tiers of government.