The Federal Ministry of Health received only N36 million out of the N218 billion appropriated for its 2025 capital expenditure, Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, has said.

Pate, who disclosed this on Monday during the Ministry’s 2026 budget defence before the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services, explained that the meagre release made it practically impossible for the Ministry to execute its capital projects for the year.

According to him, although the entire personnel allocation for 2025 was released and fully utilised, the capital component suffered severe funding constraints, largely due to the bottom-up cash planning system operated by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The minister said the situation was compounded by delays in the release of Nigeria’s counterpart contributions, which prevented the Ministry from accessing certain counterpart and donor-supported funds tied to capital projects.

He told lawmakers that the implementation of the 2025 capital budget was stalled by circumstances beyond the Ministry’s control.

Pate noted that Nigeria’s health sector planning is guided by key frameworks, including Vision 20:2020, the Medium-Term National Development Plan (NDP) 2021–2025, and the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) II, all aligned with the provisions of the National Health Act and the 2016 National Health Policy.

He said the principle of Universal Health Coverage remains central to the Ministry’s mandate, particularly in strengthening the Primary Health Care system to deliver equitable and affordable services to Nigerians.

Speaking on the 2026 budget proposal, the Minister said it was prepared in line with the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) and processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) to ensure needs-based allocation of resources.

He added that the proposal aligns with the National Development Plan and the policy priorities of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as the Ministry’s strategic blueprint initiatives for improving health outcomes.

Pate further stated that the 2016 National Health Policy, themed “Promoting the Health of Nigerians to Accelerate Socio-economic Development,” remains the foundation for the Ministry’s programmes and supports the accelerated implementation of the National Health Act, 2014.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji, directed the Minister to furnish the Committee with detailed documentation on donor funds received by the Ministry and how such funds were utilised.