2025 health budget must be protected from mismanagement, Atiku warns
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a warning regarding the allocation of $1.07 billion to Nigeria’s primary health sector in the 2025 budget.
In a press release issued on Sunday, Atiku cautioned that this substantial sum must not fall victim to mismanagement or corruption, metaphorically likening potential misuse to “snakes, termites, and monkeys” swallowing public funds.
Atiku’s statement comes amid growing concerns over the efficient utilization of resources in the health sector, especially as the nation faces dwindling funding and increasing demands for improved healthcare services.
He noted that the $1.07 billion earmarked for primary healthcare is in addition to the earlier proposed N2.48 trillion for the sector, emphasizing that every kobo must be maximally utilized given the current resource constraints.
Criticizing the Federal Government’s alleged lack of detailed plans, Atiku questioned the absence of a comprehensive framework for the expenditure of these funds.
“We have heard that the Federal Government has a plan to spend a whopping sum of $1.07 billion in the primary health sector,” he said.
“This development becomes even more troubling when we learn that a significant portion of this amount has been sourced through foreign loans and international donor agencies. Nigeria is expected to repay these loans, and the Nigerian people deserve to know the details of these financial commitments.”
Atiku further stressed that the government must establish robust mechanisms for public audits and accountability. Without clear expenditure policies and concrete infrastructure commitments, he warned, the funds risk becoming yet another episode of fraud under the guise of public interest.
He also highlighted the broader implications of mismanaged funds on Nigeria’s health sector, citing the chronic challenges faced by tertiary hospitals—including unreliable electricity supply—and the persistent burden of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Atiku argued that if the Tinubu administration truly prioritizes health, it must provide a detailed breakdown of how the investment will directly address these critical issues.
