The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) has called on the Nigerian federal government to demonstrate its commitment to improving Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAEH) services by ensuring the full release and effective utilization of approved health budgets for 2025. This appeal comes as the Joint Annual Review (JAR) of the health sector is underway, aiming to assess progress in healthcare delivery and chart reforms to improve the subsector.
The AHBN is specifically urging the government to release 10% of the 60 billion Medical Relief Fund, approved under the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Health Value Chain, to strengthen family planning and reproductive health services nationwide. The group’s Coordinator, Dr. Aminu Magashi, emphasized that the complete release of the 2025 approved family planning budget, including the US$4 million government counterpart funding, will help reduce maternal and child deaths.
Furthermore, the AHBN has appealed to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to implement the mandatory health insurance policy, ensuring that family planning services are included in the NHIA benefit package, as directed by the presidential executive order. The network has also urged federal and state governments to ensure the timely and full release of the 2025 adolescent health and well-being budgets at both national and subnational levels.
Dr. Magashi commended the recent release of 32.9 billion in Direct Facility Financing (DFF) under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) but stressed the need for greater accountability, transparency, and monitoring to guarantee that the funds achieve tangible improvements in health outcomes. The AHBN has also highlighted the need for sustained funding for immunization, calling on the government to fulfill its counterpart funding obligations to align with commitments made to Gavi and UNICEF.
The Joint Annual Review meeting, themed “All Hands, One Vision,” aims to audit the health sector and will be attended by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, state commissioners, development partners, and the National Assembly. The meeting’s outcome is expected to shape the future of Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, with a focus on improving RMNCAEH services and reducing maternal and child mortality rates. As the Nigerian government moves forward with its healthcare reforms, the AHBN’s advocacy efforts underscore the importance of sustained funding and effective utilization of resources to achieve meaningful progress in the health sector.