According to the World Bank’s Human Capital Public Expenditure and Institutional Review, Nigeria’s health budget is the lowest globally.
The review comes as over one million Nigerians are pushed to the poverty line every year because of health expenses.
According to the review: “Nigeria ranks near the bottom in Africa in Universal Health Coverage. With a score of 44, Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) index has seen some improvement over time but still ranks among the lowest in the African region.
“Nigerian government’s health expenditure is just 0.5% of GDP, ranking it among the lowest globally. Out-of-pocket payments dominated Nigeria’s healthcare financing, accounting for 77% of total health expenditures. Such a high reliance on out-of-pocket payments has several adverse effects, one of the most significant being the financial burden it places on households.
“On average, health-related expenses push more than 1 million Nigerians into poverty each year.”
According to a report from the World Bank, most government spending in Nigeria is directed towards secondary and tertiary healthcare, neglecting primary and essential health services.
“The limited public funds allocated to health in Nigeria are predominantly directed towards secondary and tertiary care facilities, with a significant portion of the budget being spent on curative services within these higher-level hospitals. This allocation strategy overlooks the crucial areas of prevention, public health, and primary health care, which are both cost-effective and have a high impact on overall health outcomes,” it states.
The Nigerian government has allocated N1.34 trillion for health in its 2024 budget of N28.78 trillion as part of development.