Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned against the mismanagement of funds allocated to Nigeria’s health sector in the 2025 Budget.
He urged authorities to ensure that public resources do not disappear under questionable circumstances, as has been reported in the past.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has earmarked $1.07 billion for primary healthcare, supplementing the ₦2.48 trillion initially set aside for the sector in the proposed budget.
However, Atiku expressed concerns about transparency and accountability in the disbursement of these funds.
Referencing past instances where public money was allegedly lost under bizarre claims involving animals such as snakes, termites, gorillas, and monkeys, Atiku insisted that every kobo allocated to healthcare must be properly utilized, particularly as Nigeria faces dwindling resources and reduced international support for essential health services.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the former vice president criticized the government’s failure to provide clear details on the additional $1.07 billion.
Atiku revealed that a significant portion of the amount is sourced from foreign loans, with contributions from an international donor agency.
He emphasized that Nigerians deserve to know the full terms of these loans, including repayment plans and spending breakdowns.
Atiku further criticized the lack of investment in physical healthcare infrastructure, describing the omission as questionable.
While the government has stated that the funds will be used to improve healthcare governance, strengthen primary healthcare services, and support the recruitment and training of healthcare workers, he argued that without proper tracking mechanisms, the budget risks being misused.
He also took aim at the administration’s handling of Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals, claiming that despite official assurances of improvements, these facilities still struggle with fundamental issues such as inconsistent power supply.
Atiku questioned the government’s commitment to addressing key health challenges, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, urging authorities to provide a concrete plan for how the intervention funds will be used to combat these diseases.
Furthermore, he dismissed the government’s response to the withdrawal of U.S. funding for HIV/AIDS treatment in Nigeria, describing the ₦5 billion allocation as insufficient.
The opposition leader warned that unless a transparent framework is put in place to monitor the health sector allocation, the budget may be perceived as another fraudulent scheme disguised as public spending.
He called on the National Assembly to scrutinize the appropriations and ensure the implementation of public audit mechanisms to guarantee accountability.
