The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) has urged 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 the approved 2025 health budgets. 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 for the subsector.
AHBN specifically calls for the release of 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 network’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.
The organization also 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. Additionally, AHBN 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 praised 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 translate into tangible health‑outcome improvements. The network also highlighted the necessity of sustained funding for immunization, calling on the government to fulfill its counterpart‑funding obligations in line with commitments 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 members of the National Assembly. The meeting’s outcomes are expected to shape the future of Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, focusing on improving RMNCAEH services and reducing maternal and child mortality rates. As the government advances its healthcare reforms, AHBN’s advocacy underscores the importance of sustained funding and effective resource utilization to achieve meaningful progress in the health sector.
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