The National Assembly Joint Committee on Health has appealed to the Joint Committee on Appropriations to make financial provisions for take-off grants to support newly established hospitals across the country.
Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Ipalibo Banigo, appealed while submitting the harmonised report of the joint Senate and House Committees on Health on the 2026 budget proposals of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Wednesday.
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Senator Banigo stated that the grants were essential to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the new health facilities. According to her, the take-off grants would provide critical start-up funding to address immediate operational needs.
The newly established hospitals include the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State, and the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Akure, Ondo State.
Others are the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo, Benue State, and the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
Senator Banigo added that, within the health sector allocation, the government is targeting 6 per cent of the total budget, net of liabilities, to strengthen healthcare systems across Nigeria.
“The aim is to revitalise our hospitals with medication and better resources, care for all Nigerians by procuring essential drugs for distribution to the public, ensuring quality healthcare facilities nationwide”.
She further stated that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s budget proposal provides N1,170,495,177,648 for personnel and N57,031,955,090 for overhead costs.
“Capital is N 924,251,647,868, making a total Allocation of N 2,136,248,295,543.”
The senator also noted that during its 2025 budget performance review and 2026 budget defence, the committee observed that most hospitals had yet to receive 100 per cent of their 2024 appropriation releases.
“Although all of the 2024 Appropriation has been uploaded, 60 per cent of payment still awaiting, in some cases, 30 per cent of the Appropriations”.
Deputy Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mohammed Monguno, assured that the committee would examine the issues raised.