The N17.16 trillion budget for 2022 was signed by President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on Thursday, December 30.

N724 billion (4.2%) of the budget, broken down sectorally, was set aside for healthcare in the Federal Capital Territory and the 36 member states of the federation.

With this allocation, Nigeria has yet again fallen short of its Abuja Declaration obligation, which calls for the country to guarantee that 15% of its yearly budget be allocated to health.

But at a time when the nation is dealing with a number of issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, cholera, malaria, and other infections, to give the health sector a pitiful 4.2% of the budget is a sad reflection not only on the state of the health sector but also on how the Federal Government views the needs of the sector.

It is also important to note that the government’s emphasis on human life is explained by the pitiful amount of funding allocated to this industry.

Based on the authorized budget and the World Bank’s projection of the country’s population of nearly 206.1 million, the average Nigerian will only be entitled to N3,510 in medical treatment in 2022. If one uses the official N413/dollar exchange rate, that is equal to 8.50 US dollars.

Even though the allocated amount may be higher than in previous years, taking into account the factors of population growth and inflation rate, there really isn’t much of an improvement.

For example, compared to the N549.8 billion allocated for the sector in 2021, the approved budget for 2022 was increased by 24%.

But when you really think about it, the inflation rate almost completely negates this rise.

Remember that in April 2021, the country’s inflation rate reached its maximum point of 18.12%. According to World Bank predictions, Nigeria might have one of the highest rates of inflation worldwide in 2022, with rising prices negatively impacting the well-being of Nigerian households.

Most significantly, Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, announced plans to eliminate fuel subsidies in the middle of 2022. This decision is predicted to increase fuel prices at the pump and, in turn, lead to an increase in the cost of products and services.

Primary Healthcare Centers are the most affected by all of these. They are the most severely impacted, with the majority having inadequate staffing and lacking in essential amenities.

Nonetheless, the PHCs are expected to meet the majority of Nigerians’ basic medical needs given their proximity to the local level of government.

The approved budget included N24 billion for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, which is responsible for managing PHCs across the country.

Every center will have N800,000 for the year if it is distributed among the 30,000 PHCs in the nation. It’s clear that N800,000 is insufficient to operate a PHC effectively for a whole year.

At a public hearing hosted by the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institution, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, the Minister of State for Health, denounced the neglect of PHCs and stated that fewer than one-third of the 30,000 basic healthcare centers across the nation are operating at maximum capacity.

Then, he implored the two Houses of Parliament to cease introducing laws that will expand the number of hospitals and other healthcare institutions in Nigeria.

“A lot of the current healthcare institutions and facilities are suffering from a lack of funds. Federal medical centers, teaching hospitals, and community primary health centers all fall under this category.

“It might be of interest to you to know that, according to the Ministry of Health’s most recent audit report, of approximately 30,000 primary health centers, less than one-third are operational, and even those are not fully operational because the physical structure of the building does not determine functionality,” the official stated.

The failure of these PHCs has overwhelmed the comprehensive and tertiary healthcare centers, according to Abdulrafiu Alani Adeniji, a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

Seventy percent of Nigerians’ healthcare requirements should be met by the primary healthcare center. Twenty percent should be handled by the state, and the remaining ten percent by the federal government. But things are not as they seem. In an interview, Adeniji stated, “People with malaria are going to the teaching hospital when the primary healthcare centers should have taken care of them.”

It is essential that the Nigerian government grabs the reins and moves quickly to address the numerous issues facing the health sector.

The FG needs to prioritize funding the health sector and make sure that adequate financial provisions are made for it as a starting point, rather than just lip service.

The president has already signed the 2022 budget, but the federal government ought to think about adding a second budget for the health sector.

The purpose of the supplemental budget might be to explicitly address the sector’s infrastructure shortfall and guarantee that Nigerians can receive the high-quality healthcare they require from our public institutions.

The people of Nigeria need to start investing well in the health sector.

High-quality healthcare spending would not only assist the nation lower medical tourism and brain drain from the medical field, but it will also expedite efforts to build the entire country.