“Just N36m Out Of N218bn 2025 Health Capital Allocation Was Released” — Health Minister Ali Pate laments
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, has revealed that only N36m was released out of the N218bn approved for the ministry’s 2025 capital projects, significantly hampering implementation.
He disclosed this on Monday during the 2026 budget defence before the House Committee on Healthcare Services. “Out of the N218bn appropriated to the health sector by the parliament for the execution of capital projects in the 2025 fiscal year, only N36m was released,” he told lawmakers.
While the personnel budget was fully released and utilised, Pate said the capital component suffered due to cash flow constraints and systemic bottlenecks, particularly the bottom-up cash planning system of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. He also cited delays in Nigeria’s counterpart funding for donor-supported programmes, which restricted access to some external funds.
He stated that “The funding gap stalled projects despite the ministry’s readiness, worsening delays in infrastructure development, equipment procurement and completion of hospitals and laboratories nationwide” he concluded.