Health: Tinubu Released Only N36m For Capital Projects In 2025
Health Minister Ali Pate
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has attributed the poor implementation of his ministry’s 2025 capital projects to non release of appropriated funds.
The minister spoke in Abuja on Monday during the 2026 budget defence before the house of representatives committee on healthcare services.
Pate told lawmakers that although the ministry’s personnel allocation was fully released and utilised, capital spending suffered major setbacks due to funding constraints linked to the federal government’s cash management system.
He explained that the ministry received only about N36 million out of its N218 billion capital allocation approved for 2025, leaving planned infrastructure and programmes unimplemented.
He also said delays in meeting counterpart funding obligations prevented the ministry from accessing some external support tied to joint financing arrangements, further limiting the execution of health sector projects.
The minister noted that the health sector’s programmes and budgets are guided by long-term national development frameworks, including vision 20:2020, the national development plan (NDP) 2021–2025, and the national strategic health development plan (NSHDP) II, all of which aim to strengthen the health system and improve access to services across the country.
He said the provisions of the National Health Act and the 1999 Constitution place emphasis on ensuring access to quality healthcare for Nigerians, while policy direction for implementation is provided through the national health policy and related strategic plans.
“The principles of universal health coverage are central to the national health policy objective of strengthening Nigeria’s health system,” he said.
“It particularly focuses on the primary health care subsystem to deliver quality, effective, efficient, equitable, accessible, affordable, acceptable and comprehensive health services to all Nigerians.”
Pate added the 2026 budget proposal for the ministry was prepared in line with the 2026–2028 medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy paper and developed through the government integrated financial management information system to ensure better alignment of resources with national priorities.
“The national health policy 2016, themed ‘promoting the health of Nigerians to accelerate socio-economic development’, provides the foundation for the national strategic health development plan II and supports accelerated implementation of the national health act, 2014.”
