The National Assembly Joint Committee on Health has appealed to the Joint Committee on Appropriations to provide financial take‑off grants to support newly established hospitals across Nigeria.
The appeal was made on February 25, 2026, when Senator Ipalibo Banigo, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health, presented the harmonised report of the joint Senate and House Committees on Health on the 2026 budget proposals for ministries, departments, and agencies.
The request is part of legislative actions within the ongoing national budgeting process, which includes deliberations on funding various sectors, including health.
Senator Banigo said the take‑off grants are intended to provide critical start‑up funding to address immediate operational needs of the new health facilities.
The hospitals identified for support include the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Lafia, Nasarawa State; the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Akure, Ondo State; the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Otukpo, Benue State; and the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Ila‑Orangun, Osun State.
Banigo said the National Assembly is targeting six per cent of the total national budget allocation, net of liabilities, as investment in the health sector to strengthen healthcare systems nationwide.
She provided details of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s budget proposal, including N1,170,495,177,648 for personnel, N57,031,955,090 for overhead, and N924,251,647,868 for capital expenditure, bringing the total to N2,136,248,295,543.
According to the report, the committee observed that many of the hospitals had not received full release of their 2024 appropriations.
Banigo said the 2024 allocations had been uploaded but that some facilities had received only 60 per cent of funds, with others receiving as little as 30 per cent.
Senator Mohammed Monguno, Deputy Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said the joint committee would look into the funding issues raised during the budget review.
The call for take‑off grants highlights legislative attention to the funding and operational readiness of newly established federal hospitals in Nigeria.
If the Joint Committee on Appropriations includes the take‑off grants in the final budget, the new hospitals may receive dedicated start‑up funding to support their immediate needs.
The discussion also underscores broader concerns about timely release of appropriated funds to health facilities and the need for adequate budgetary allocations to strengthen healthcare delivery.
