Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned against the misappropriation of funds allocated to the health sector in the 2025 budget.
Referencing past bizarre claims of animals—such as snakes, termites, gorillas, and monkeys—being blamed for missing public funds. Atiku stressed that such absurd incidents must not be allowed to happen with resources meant for healthcare.
Amid dwindling resources and reduced external support for healthcare services, Atiku emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the government’s $1.07 billion budgetary appropriation for the health sector. He called for mechanisms to ensure public audits and proper utilization of every kobo earmarked for healthcare.
The former vice president specifically questioned the government’s failure to provide a detailed breakdown of how it intends to spend over a billion dollars in the primary health sector.
Atiku noted that while investment in primary healthcare is crucial for providing Nigerians with accessible and affordable medical services, it would be unethical for the government to allocate such a significant sum without disclosing its intended use.
“The Federal Government has announced plans to spend a whopping $1.07 billion in the primary health sector, in addition to the N2.48 trillion initially proposed for healthcare in the budget,” Atiku noted.
“What is even more concerning is that this additional funding is largely sourced from foreign loans, with a small portion coming from an international donor agency. Since these loans must be repaid, Nigerians have the right to know the full details and ensure that the expenditure is transparent and well-justified,” he added.
Atiku further criticized the government for failing to commit to any physical infrastructure projects within the health sector, suggesting that this raises red flags about potential mismanagement or fraud.
According to the government, the funds will be used to improve governance in healthcare and strengthen primary health services nationwide, including recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare workers and teachers. However, Abubakar argued that the government has a poor track record in managing public funds, particularly in humanitarian services, and that Nigerians should not accept vague explanations without clear accountability mechanisms.
“It is difficult to trust this administration’s claims, especially given its history of misleading Nigerians about investments in social infrastructure,” he said.
He pointed out the government’s misleading statements about improvements in tertiary hospitals, despite the reality that many of these institutions lack basic amenities, such as stable electricity supply.
“The Tinubu administration has failed in the health sector due to poor funding. Major diseases in primary healthcare, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, remain critical challenges. If this government is truly committed to healthcare, it must clarify how it plans to use this intervention fund to tackle these diseases,” Atiku stated.
He also criticized the government’s response to the recent withdrawal of American aid for HIV/AIDS treatment, noting that its proposed intervention of N5 billion is grossly inadequate.
“If the Tinubu administration does not present a clear framework for managing this significant health sector investment or subject it to proper legislative scrutiny, then it may be safe to conclude that this is yet another case of public funds being mismanaged under the guise of serving Nigerians,” Atiku concluded.
