The 2026 federal budget allocates N2.48 trillion to health, representing 4.2 per cent of total expenditure. This figure, signed into law by the President, marks a nominal increase over 2024 levels but falls short of the 15 per cent target set by the Abuja Declaration. According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare's 2025 State of Health of the Nation report, 38 per cent of Nigerian adults live with hypertension. Despite the scale of the condition, funding reaching primary healthcare facilities remains inconsistent.
Historical data shows a significant gap between budget appropriation and actual fund release. In past cycles, capital project releases for Non-Communicable Diseases reached as low as 15 per cent. For patients relying on medications like Amlodipine, such shortfalls translate directly into rationing and health risks. In areas like Mushin and parts of Jigawa, shortages of blood pressure cuffs and essential drugs persist.
The National Hypertensison Control Initiative provides a framework for integrating hypertension care into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. Kano State has demonstrated progress by incorporating screening into primary care, leading to improved early detection. The federal government is urged to ring-fence a portion of the BHCPF for hypertension and diabetes, require matching state contributions, and implement digital dashboards to track fund disbursement from the Treasury to facility level.
Emmanuel Alhassan is a Professor of Psychology at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and Country Lead, Health Systems Strengthening, Global Health Advocacy Incubator in Nigeria. Juliana Abude-Aribo is Executive Director at LISDEL.
The same budget that projects N2.48 trillion for health still fails to deliver Amlodipine to patients in Mushin. If only 15 per cent of funds for non-communicable diseases were released in previous years, the current allocation solves nothing on its own. A hypertensive breadwinner suffering a stroke due to unmet needs costs more than a lifetime supply of medication. Without real-time tracking and ring-fenced funding, the 2026 budget remains a promise on paper, not a lifeline.
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