The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, expressed concern regarding the limited release of capital funds for the ministry in the 2024 budget.
He revealed that only 15.06 percent of the allocated capital budget had been disbursed, which translates to approximately N26.55 billion out of a total allocation of N233.69 billion intended for capital projects.
During a presentation to the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Health, Professor Pate provided insights into the ministry's budget performance and outlined projections for the upcoming fiscal year.
He highlighted that the total budgetary allocation for 2024 was N242.14 billion, which includes N7.48 billion for personnel costs, N998.74 million for overhead expenses, and N233.66 billion earmarked for capital expenditure.
Notably, he mentioned that no funds had been received from the N57.39 billion allocated under multilateral and bilateral loans for capital projects.
Looking ahead, Professor Pate discussed the proposed budget for 2025, emphasizing its alignment with the National Development Plan 2021-2025 and the National Health Policy 2016.
He stated that this budget was prepared using the GIFTS platform, which aims to ensure that resource allocation is justified based on project needs and government policy priorities.
In response to inquiries from lawmakers, he underscored the importance of national unity in promoting healthcare initiatives and reiterated the government's commitment to enhancing healthcare services across public health institutions.
Despite existing challenges, he asserted that significant improvements have been made in the health sector, although many positive developments remain underreported.
Professor Pate concluded by affirming that Nigeria possesses a skilled healthcare workforce capable of meeting both domestic and international demands for medical personnel.
