FG Allocates N68bn, Including N50bn For Vaccines and Health Workers’ Arrears.

The Federal Government has released N68 billion for vaccine financing and allocated N50 billion to settle outstanding arrears for health workers.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, announced this on Thursday during the 66th meeting of the National Council on Health in Calabar, Cross River State. The council, meeting under the theme, “My Health, My Right: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage through Equity, Resilience, and Innovation,” is a high-level governance body responsible for formulating and coordinating health policies nationwide. It brings together federal and state health leaders to review progress and set strategic directions for the sector.

According to Prof. Pate, the N68 billion has already been credited to the account of the National Primary Health Care Agency, with the Central Bank of Nigeria set to process the funds for UNICEF. The N50 billion for health workers’ arrears comes as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen primary healthcare systems and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across the country.

“From the Federal Government side, I have encouraging news to share. Last week, we obtained approval for N68 billion for vaccine financing, which has now been released to the Primary Health Care Agency. The Central Bank will begin processing the funds for UNICEF,” Pate said.

He described the release as a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to health spending, urging states to also allocate and deploy resources effectively to meet healthcare needs. “There were outstanding arrears for health workers from previous years. The Federal Government has deployed N50 billion to settle these. This underscores the link between rising revenues and increased health sector spending at the federal level, and we urge all states to mirror this commitment,” he added.

The minister further called on states to increase health sector allocations, recommending at least a 1 per cent increase in state health budgets for 2026 compared to 2025. He emphasized the importance of investing in primary healthcare, hospitals, medical equipment, vaccines, and reproductive health commodities.

“As we look ahead, we expect faster progress toward achieving UHC in Nigeria. Quality healthcare requires investment, and we are advocating for at least a 0.6 per cent increase in the federal health budget to reach six per cent overall,” Pate said. He noted that prioritization of health in the federal budget is at an unprecedented level and urged states to increase their contributions accordingly.

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, highlighted the council’s role as the highest decision-making body on health matters in the country. He stressed the need for commitment to policy implementation to ensure healthcare is accessible to all Nigerians. “This session of the National Council on Health should bring us closer to achieving UHC by strengthening primary healthcare, building a sustainable health workforce, and providing health and social insurance schemes,” he said.