US aid cut: NASS approves additional N300bn in 2025 budget for health sector

Following the United States’ cuts to development aid, the National Assembly approved an additional N300bn ($200 million) for the health sector in the 2025 budget. The National Assembly on Thursday passed the 2025 appropriation bill totalling N54.99 trillion. The budget saw an increase of over N700 billion from the N54.2 trillion proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had raised the proposed budget from ₦49.7 trillion to ₦54.2 trillion, citing additional revenues generated by key government agencies.s

Abubakar Bichi, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation explained that the increase included the N300 billion for the health sector to procure vaccines and essential drugs.

“As you know the United States government has withdrawn its support for some countries in terms of providing health support, and Nigeria is among them, so the president proactively requested an addition of $200 million, which is about N300 billion, to cater that health sector for the people who have that challenge of tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and polio” he explained while briefing journalists.

Bichi said the National Assembly also received genuine requests from some agencies like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Judicial Council, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services ministry of foreign affairs and armed forces.

The budget of INEC was raised from the proposed N40 billion to N140 billion.

Bichi added that there are some critical projects, such as rail projects, road infrastructures, agriculture, as well as education which the additional funds would be channelled to.

“Before we increased the budget, we had a meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Nigerian Custom Service, FIRS, and they have confirmed to us that they will be able to come up with enough funding for the budget”, Bichi said.

Under statutory transfers, the four newly created development commissions received a total allocation of N705.6 billion.

The South-East Development Commission, South-West Development Commission, and South-South Development Commission each received N140 billion, while the North-West Development Commission received ₦145.6 billion.

The National Assembly received an allocation of N344.8 billion.

The chairman, however, observed that the budget was presented late and urged the executive to present estimates not later than three months into the next financial year, to keep with the January-December budget cycle.