Despite severe funding constraints, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has sustained a visible presence across Nigeria’s health landscape, a performance that earned commendation from the Senate even as lawmakers raised deep concerns over emergency medical care gaps and recurring doctors’ strikes.
These issues dominated discussions on Friday during the ministry’s 2026 budget defence before the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo (Rivers West), at the National Assembly.
Presenting the budget proposal, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed that the ministry proposed a total allocation of about ₦224.3 billion for 2026. The figure covers personnel, overheads and capital expenditure, including over ₦10 billion for personnel costs, about ₦1.59 billion for overheads, as well as capital projects and multilateral and bilateral loan components.
Lawmakers noted that despite zero or minimal releases in parts of 2025, the ministry’s interventions were still felt nationwide.Senator
Harry-Banigo described the health ministry as one of the most visible federal institutions, praising the leadership of both the Minister and Minister of State for sustaining service delivery under difficult fiscal conditions.
However, the committee expressed strong reservations over the prolonged doctors’ strike experienced in 2025, which disrupted health services for nearly three months.Senators
warned that extended industrial actions often turn manageable illnesses into life-threatening emergencies, stressing that citizens ultimately bear the cost of unresolved labour disputes.
The lawmakers also raised concerns over the fragile state of emergency medical care in the country. They cited delayed responses to road traffic accidents, strokes, snake bites and other emergencies, particularly in rural and high-risk communities, and questioned whether current budgetary provisions were adequate to prevent avoidable deaths.
Responding, Salako acknowledged the devastating impact of prolonged strikes on patients and the health system, assuring the committee that the ministry is strengthening mechanisms to ensure continuity of essential services during industrial actions.He
He explained that the 2026 budget proposals are deliberately structured to reduce system-wide shocks and safeguard lives, even when labour disputes arise.
The minister said the ministry is prioritising reforms to strengthen service delivery frameworks, improve coordination across health institutions and expand health insurance coverage to shield Nigerians from disruptions and financial hardship during crises.
He further disclosed that health sector allocation in the 2026 budget has increased to about six per cent, up from approximately 5.8 per cent in the previous year, describing the rise as modest but reflective of President Bola Tinubu’s continued emphasis on health despite prevailing economic challenges.
On emergency medical services, Salako identified poor coordination, not lack of assets, as the major challenge. He noted that ambulances owned by federal and state governments, hospitals and private operators currently operate in isolation.
According to him, the federal government, through the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), is working to integrate all available ambulance resources nationwide to enable faster, unified and more effective emergency responses.
Speaking in an interview with journalists after the session, Salako thanked the Senate for its support, noting that the 2026 budget aligns with President Tinubu’s agenda on universal health coverage, stronger primary healthcare, expansion of health insurance and continuity of essential services.
In a separate interview with this reporter, he reiterated that while funding constraints remain a major challenge, the ministry is focused on improving coordination, preventing prolonged labour disruptions and strengthening emergency response systems to reduce avoidable loss of lives across the country.
While commending the ministry’s efforts, the Senate committee cautioned that without improved funding releases, labour stability and a coordinated emergency care system, budget defences could become “academic exercises” with limited impact on real health outcomes for Nigerians.-
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