Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has demanded a public audit of the $1.07 billion earmarked by the Federal Government for healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme.
Atiku emphasized the need for transparency, stating that “swallowing public funds must never be the fate of the funds budgeted for the critical health sector in the 2025 Budget.”. This call comes after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the allocation, which was disclosed by Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, who also revealed that N4.8 billion had been allocated for HIV treatment.
The HOPE programme aims to bolster human capital development, with the majority of the funds set to improve governance and primary healthcare across Nigeria. Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Pate, outlined that the funds would focus on strengthening healthcare systems, particularly by recruiting and retaining workers in primary healthcare settings. Additionally, $500 million will be dedicated to enhancing maternal and child health services.
However, Atiku raised concerns about a lack of clarity regarding the expenditure of the allocated funds, particularly the foreign loans and international donations used to finance the reforms. He warned that the government must ensure transparency in how these funds are spent and suggested that a policy document explaining their use must be in place to prevent misuse.
Atiku also criticized the timing of the HIV treatment initiative, calling it a panic response to the U.S.’s cancellation of aid. He urged the government to provide a detailed framework and allow scrutiny by the National Assembly to avoid potential misuse of public funds.
