Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has called for a public audit of the $1.07 billion approved by the Federal Government for healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Abubakar stressed the need for transparency, stating, “Swallowing public funds must never be the fate of the funds budgeted for the critical health sector in the 2025 Budget.”
His remarks follow reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the allocation of $1.07 billion for healthcare sector reforms.
Breakdown of the Healthcare Funding
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, earlier disclosed the funding approval while addressing State House correspondents after an FEC meeting. He also announced that the federal government had allocated N4.8 billion to treat the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
At the same briefing, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, reaffirmed Edun’s statement, explaining that the HOPE programme aligns with the administration’s commitment to human capital development.
According to Pate:
- The funds will be used to improve governance in the healthcare sector and enhance primary healthcare services nationwide.
- “This financing will support the recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare workers and teachers at the subnational level,” he stated.
- $500 million will be allocated to improving the quality, accessibility, and resilience of the primary healthcare system, including emergency maternal and child health services.
- “As part of broader healthcare reforms, the council also approved N4.8 billion for the procurement of 150,000 HIV treatment packs over the next four months.
This initiative underscores the federal government’s commitment to providing life-saving treatment and reducing healthcare costs for vulnerable populations,” he added.
Atiku’s Response
Abubakar expressed concerns over Nigeria’s dwindling financial resources, which he said have been further strained by the withdrawal of external support for certain healthcare services. He emphasized that every kobo allocated to the health sector must be properly accounted for.
“To this end, the Federal Government must be deliberate in putting mechanisms in place for public audit and accountability regarding its $1.07 billion budgetary allocation to the health sector,” he stated.
The former Vice President also criticized the government for failing to provide detailed plans on how the funds will be utilized.
- While acknowledging the urgent need for investment in primary healthcare, he argued that withholding full details on expenditure is both immoral and unlawful.
- “We have read that the Federal Government plans to spend a whopping sum of $1.07 billion in the primary health sector. This amount is in addition to the N2.48 trillion earlier proposed for the health sector in the initial draft of the budget.
- “This development becomes even more concerning when the government also announced that the $1.07 billion allocated to the health sector at the subnational level was mainly sourced from foreign loans, with a fraction provided by an international donor agency.
- “In other words, Nigeria is expected to repay these loans, and it is imperative that the Nigerian people know the details of these loans, as well as ensure that their expenditure is framed within a policy document explaining how the funds will be utilized,” he added.
Abubakar further stated that if President Bola Tinubu’s administration is serious about prioritizing Nigerians’ health, it must provide a clear breakdown of how the intervention funds will be utilized to combat diseases at the primary healthcare level.
Additionally, he accused the Federal Government of reacting hastily to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement about cutting American aid for HIV/AIDS treatment in Nigeria.
“The federal government’s recent plans for HIV/AIDS treatment are merely a ‘panic response’ to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding the cancellation of American aid for HIV/AIDS treatment in Nigeria,” he alleged.
Abubakar warned that failure to establish a transparent framework for managing the funds or to allow scrutiny by the National Assembly could result in another case of financial mismanagement disguised as a public interest initiative.
Background on the HOPE Programme
The Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme was developed with support from the World Bank.
In September 2024, the World Bank approved financing for the initiative to enhance human capital development in Nigeria, focusing on the basic education and primary healthcare sectors.
