The Nigerian government has announced plans to raise nearly $150 billion to finance vaccine procurement for 2025 and 2026, as part of its renewed push to strengthen the country’s health sector.

The disclosure was made by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, at the 2025 Joint Annual Review of the Health Sector, themed “All Hands, One Mission: Bringing the Nigerian Health Sector to Light.”

Edun highlighted that the health sector budget increased by nearly 60% in 2025, with the Basic Health Care Provision Fund set to rise from $31.5 billion in 2024 to nearly $299 billion in 2026. He stressed the government’s commitment to closing the gap between budget appropriations and fund releases, and emphasized the need for domestic resource mobilisation alongside multilateral support.

He urged state and local governments to increase spending on health and education to complement federal efforts, warning that reforms and funding would be ineffective without their participation.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said the government is reducing reliance on foreign aid, promoting local solutions, and boosting domestic production of medicines, vaccines, and health technologies. He highlighted new financing strategies, including fiscal measures on sugar-sweetened beverages, public-private partnerships, and digital solutions to improve transparency and accountability.

Pate also reported significant gains in the health sector:

• Primary healthcare utilisation rose from 10 million visits in Q1 2024 to 45 million in Q2 2025.
• Nearly half of women of reproductive age now use modern contraception.
• Vaccination coverage for measles, rubella, and HPV met or exceeded national targets.

“All 36 states and the FCT now have operational plans aligned with the National Health Sector Strategic Blueprint. Seventy-two per cent of states have mechanisms for non-communicable diseases, and all 774 local government areas host National Health Fellows and Public Financial Management Officers,” Pate said, underscoring the government’s efforts to build a resilient, inclusive, and responsive health system.