Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Health Council Workers Face Salary Delays Due to Federal Funding Cuts

POSTED ON June 11, 2025 •   Health & Wellness      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume

More than 1,500 health professionals associated with the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria have not received their salaries for the past 20 months. 

This inability to pay is due to a directive from the Federal Government that halted funding to certain government agencies.

The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria, established by Act 11 of 2002 as amended, is the primary organization in Nigeria overseeing environmental health regulations and a variety of activities aimed at preventing disease transmission.

During the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria in 2014, environmental health officers were crucial in combating the virus.

Similarly, in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental health officers were deployed at entry points such as airports, seaports, and land borders.

They also conducted internal and external decontamination of premises to curb the spread of the virus.

In 2023, a memo from the former Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, indicated that certain agencies, including the Environmental Health Council, would transition to being entirely self-funded, assuming responsibility for their personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures.

The memo noted that the Presidential Committee on Salaries, in its 13th meeting, had approved the halting of budgetary allocations to professional bodies and councils starting December 31, 2026.

Reports confirmed that some agencies would receive funding until 2026, while others would have their government funding cut by December 2024.

A list published by the Federal Government in 2024 indicated that 26 councils would experience budget cuts that year, potentially saving the country about N27.72bn.

Consequently, the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria faced budget constraints, leading to deficits in annual overhead and personnel costs.

In 2024, there was a request from the then Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, to exempt health agencies from the funding cuts, resulting in the Federal Government allocating over N6bn for salary payments to 13 exempted health agencies.

Meanwhile, a letter from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, addressed to President Bola Tinubu on April 30, 2025, sought leniency for the health workers.

The letter referenced previous communications regarding the discontinuation of funding for specific health sector councils, including the Environmental Health Council, following decisions made by the Presidential Committee on Salaries.

The letter reminded the President of an appeal made at an earlier Federal Executive Council meeting for sustained funding of regulatory agencies essential to public health and the healthcare system.

The letter also noted that while funds were set aside in the 2024 Appropriation Act for various health sector regulatory agencies, the EHCON was excluded and received no allocation from the Federal Ministry of Environment.

This exclusion has caused significant financial strain on the agency and its staff, who have not been paid their salaries and operational expenses for the entirety of 2024.

The SGF's memo urged President Tinubu to reconsider and approve funding for the EHCON, highlighting their role in regulating environmental health practitioners who contribute to the preventive health and welfare of society, thereby addressing concerns regarding their funding exclusion.

READ ALSO
Kylian Mbappé to rejoin Team after Food Poison Treatment
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 20, 2025 0

France and Real Madrid of Spain forward, Kylian Mbappe, has been discharged from hospital after bein...

READ ALSO
WHO Unveils First Global Guidelines for Managing Sickle Cell Disease in Pregnancy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 19, 2025 0

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has introduced its inaugural global guideline for managing sickl...

READ ALSO
NDLEA Alerts Parents: Watch for Suspicious Snacks in Children's Bags
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 15, 2025 0

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a serious warning to parents, advising t...

READ ALSO
Health Council Workers Face Salary Delays Due to Federal Funding Cuts
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 11, 2025 0

More than 1,500 health professionals associated with the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria hav...

READ ALSO
WHO Declares Mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 11, 2025 0

The World Health Organization has stated that the ongoing rise in mpox cases qualifies as a Public H...

READ ALSO
Students mobilise for Malaria Contest with N1b Geneith health
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

In an effort to tackle one of Nigeria’s deadliest diseases, Geneith Pharmaceuticals Ltd has la...

READ ALSO
Dangote Advocate end to health tourism, Emphasize local drug- production
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President and chief executive officer of Dangote groups, Aliko Dangote, has called...

READ ALSO
Bill Gates Advocates for Improved Health Care in Nigeria Amid Budget Constraints
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

US billionaire Bill Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, expressed that Nigeria’s health bu...

OUR CHANNELS:

Reclaiming Gaddafi’s Pan-African Dream: Why His Vision Still Matters
BY Suleiman Jimoh July 2, 2025 0

Few remember that Muammar Gaddafi once dared to imagine an Africa unchained from foreign dictate. He...


Calls for Autopsy: Ondo Govt. Faces Pressure to Exhume Late Governor Akeredolu's Body
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The Ondo State Government may need to exhume the body of the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, f...


Dangote Slash Petrol Price to N840 per Litre Amid Market Adjustments
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 2, 2025 0

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has lowered the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly refe...


NEC Reinstates Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary Amid Internal Conflicts
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The 100th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the People’s Democratic Party (...


APC Schedules NEC Meeting for July 24 Amid Leadership Changes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - The All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled its National Executive Committee...


PDP: Tensions Rise Ahead of 100th NEC Meeting Amid Factional Disputes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

As tensions escalate within the People’s Democratic Party regarding the National Secretary pos...


Sokoto,Kebbi PDP Ready to Join Coalition Against APC in 2027
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The state branches of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto and Kebbi have expressed t...


UNIUYO Medical Lecturers Begin Indefinite Strike over VC appointment
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 30, 2025 0

Medical lecturers at the University of Uyo, affiliated with the Medical and Dental Consultants Assoc...


Nigeria and Saint Lucia Unite for Mutual Growth
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre agreed on Sunday to establish formal diplo...


Tinubu Empowers ICRC to Streamline PPP Processes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 2, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has authorized the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to e...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu