2026 Appropriation Bill: Nine States Meet 15% Health Budget Mark

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As Nigeria continues in her drive to reposition the health sector, nine states of the federation have voted 15 percent and above for healthcare in their 2026 appropriation Bill.

According to the 2026 Budget analysis published by Promad Foundation, the nine states include; Abia, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, Kwara, Nasarawa, Oyo and Taraba.

The move by the states is seen as major step forward in realizing the 15 percent budget target set by African leaders under the Abuja Declaration.

Signed in April 2001, the Abuja declaration is a pledge by African Union to allocate at least 15 percent of their annual national budgets to the health sector to strengthen healthcare systems.

However, despite being a landmark commitment, most countries, including Nigeria, have not able to meet this target, with many allocations remaining below 10% for over two decades.

Whereas the federal government is allocating N2.48 trillion to the health sector in the 2026 budget, representing roughly 4.2 percent of the total N58.47 trillion budget, the 10 sub-nationals average 15 percent in proposed spend for healthcare.

Nigeria is spearheading a new campaign on health sector reform agenda which targets restructuring of healthcare systems, ensuring more domestic investments into the health sector and a drive to improve on the health sector value chain.

Details of the budget allocations to health sector by the nine states showed that Ogun state has (17%), Nasarawa (17.95%), Oyo (17.50%), Kwara (17.71%), Ogun (17%), Kano (16%), Abia (15%), Taraba (15.98%) and Bauchi (15.03%).

It is expected that the increased budgetary allocation by the states will translate into significant investment in healthcare infrastructure, capacity improvement for personnel and service delivery.

The foundation’s analysis further showed that combined total of the sub-national budgets of the 36 states in 2026 is 36.98 trillion, representing a 45 percent increase over the N25.58 trillion of 2025 and a 129 percent rise from 16.15 trillion of 2024.