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

Nigeria faces $200m Annual Funding Gap for Immunisation

POSTED ON July 31, 2024 •   BREAKING NEWS      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Director General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu

Nigeria faces an annual funding gap of $200 million for immunization, according to the Director General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu. 

Speaking at the Multi-Stakeholders Technical Workshop for the Optimisation of Immunisation Financing in Nigeria, organised by the Vaccine Network for Disease Control in partnership with GAVI and the Global Health Advocacy Initiative, Yakubu emphasised the need for increased public sector funding to address the financial gaps in immunisation.

“Nigeria faces an annual funding gap of $200m out of the required $580m for immunisation. However, considering the public sector’s contribution of only $150m, the actual funding gap is more significant,” Yakubu said.

He emphasized the need for increased public sector funding to address the financial gaps in immunization. 

He noted that without international donors like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, the gap would be $430m, highlighting the country’s reliance on external aid.

Yakubu proposed legislation to mandate the public sector to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production, storage, and distribution logistics, and recommended bridging the $200 million deficit through increased public sector funding, prioritizing the actual funding gap of $430 million, and leveraging public-private partnerships to establish local vaccine production infrastructure.

The Chairman of the 9th Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, has emphasized the significance of prioritizing immunization in Nigeria's budget allocation. 

He stated that immunization is not solely a health matter, but also an economic and security concern.

Investing in immunization can save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance productivity. 

Oloriegbe highlighted the need to address the funding gap for immunization, currently at $200m, and proposed increasing funding for immunization in the budget, exploring ways to boost revenue generation, and reactivating the bio-vaccine initiative to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production.

“Legislators have a critical role to play in ensuring that immunisation receives adequate funding. We must work together to prioritise immunisation and make it a national priority,” Oloriegbe said.

He also recommended removing counterpart funding for vaccines from the current supply chain and prioritising immunisation in budget allocation.

“Let’s work together to make immunisation a national priority and ensure that our citizens receive the necessary vaccines to prevent diseases,” Oloriegbe added.

Nigeria is facing a critical vaccine immunisation financing crisis, with outstanding obligations from 2023 still unpaid and the 2024 payment due in June yet to be made. 

Decision-makers are urged to take immediate action to settle the outstanding payments, emphasising the importance of prioritising health despite the country's fiscal challenges. 

Immunisation is a key pathway to enhancing the health and well-being of all Nigerians, and the federal government is called upon to release counterpart funding for immunisation programmes to address the inadequate funding hindering Nigeria's fight against vaccine-preventable diseases. 

The need for local vaccine production is highlighted, as Nigeria's future depends on a healthy population, and a healthy country is a wealthy country. 
Stakeholders are working together to bridge funding gaps, enhance immunisation coverage, strengthen accountability, and ensure sustainable financing.

READ ALSO
Sowore Condemns Tenure Extensions of Senior Security Officials for Violating 35-Year Service Limit
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 6, 2025 0

Human rights advocate and ex-presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, has criticized the ongoing tenur...

READ ALSO
South-West Demands Five New States and Constitutional Recognition for Traditional Rulers in Ongoing Constitutional Review
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

The demand for the establishment of five new states, the recognition of traditional rulers in the co...

READ ALSO
Federal High Court Orders Reinstatement of  Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Calls Suspension "Excessive"
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its authority by sus...

READ ALSO
Calls for Autopsy: Ondo Govt. Faces Pressure to Exhume Late Governor Akeredolu's Body
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 30, 2025 0

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

READ ALSO
Tinubu to Discuss Sustainable Governance at BRICS Summit in Rio
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 29, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, on Saturday for the first leg of his two-p...

READ ALSO
Reps Launches Committee to Review CNG Policy Implementation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 27, 2025 0

The House of Representatives has formed an ad-hoc committee tasked with examining the Federal Govern...

READ ALSO
Nigeria Takes Bold Step towards Energy Independence with Naira-Based Crude Sales Initiative
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, alongside the Federal Government’s One-Stop-Sho...

READ ALSO
IPMAN Links Rising Petrol Prices to Crude Oil Costs and Market Dynamics
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associati...

OUR CHANNELS:

Governor Yusuf Urges Community Support for Educational Initiatives
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has reiterated the Nigerian Navy&rsqu...


Tight Security and Low Turnout Mark Local Council Elections in Lagos
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - Heavy security presence was observed at the headquarters of the Lagos State Indepen...


Nigeria Customs Seizes 40-Foot Container of Donkey Genitals in Major Wildlife Trafficking Bust
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

Operatives from the Nigeria Customs Service have seized a 40-foot container filled with donkey genit...


Niger United Secures Third Win; Coach Eyes League Trophy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

Niger United's coach, Yekini Adebayo, has shown optimism regarding his team's chances of claiming th...


Senate Calls for Reassessment of Nigeria's Power Sector Strategy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to reconsider its strategy regarding the power sector, a...


Local Government Autonomy: Promises Unfulfilled as State Governors Retain Financial Control
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

One year after the Supreme Court granted full autonomy to Nigeria's 774 local government areas, the...


LASIEC Guarantees Free and Fair Elections Amidst Ballot Box Snatching Concerns
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission has stated that any instance of ba...


Trump Hosts African Leaders at the White House to Explore Business Opportunities
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

United States President Donald Trump On Wednesday, welcomed the Presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau,...


Crypto Bridge Exchange Collapse Sparks Urgent Senate Inquiry into Ponzi Schemes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

The Senate initiated an extensive investigation into the surge of Ponzi schemes across the nation, o...


IMF Commends FIRS for Reforms, Pledges Continued Support
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

The International Monetary Fund has expressed its support for the ongoing reforms at the Federal Inl...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu