Despite N14 bn in 4 years, Kano Primary Healthcare Board spends zero naira on capital expenditure

By Aminu Abubakar

Kano has been reported to suffer from challenges in its health sector especially in terms of access to healthcare in the rural areas.

A SolaceBase review of budget performance documents shows that in 2024, a sum of N5.1 billion was earmarked for the state’s primary healthcare board capital expenditure, however, zero naira was spent as of the first quarter of the year.

In 2023 the budget stood at N4.1 billion with actual expenditure at zero naira.

In 2022 the budgeted amount stood at N3.4 billion while the actual expenditure was zero naira.

In 2021 the budgeted amount stood at N2.1 billion while actual expenditure was zero naira.

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This would mean that in total, within the four years under review, the state budgeted N14.7 billion for capital expenditure of the primary healthcare management board, yet, zero naira was actually spent.

Another line item on the budget performance documents that read “provision of modern health infrastructure for health services delivery” had a budget of N34 billion with zero naira actual expenditure in the first three months of 2024.

This development is despite the fact that 51% of persons in Kano are deprived access to sanitary facilities in Kano state, 31% are exposed to diseases due to the absence of clean drinking water.

In Kano, the time spent on healthcare is put at 37%, according to information from the multidimensional poverty index data of the National Bureau of Statistics.

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Child mortality in Kano stands at 109 per 1000 live births per data from state of state, published by Kingmakers, a ranking website that measures the performance of states in critical sectors such as healthcare.

Already, there are 1142 primary healthcare facilities across the 44 local government areas of Kano state, based on data published by Procurement Monitor, a platform of the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC).

Investigations by different media houses including SolaceBase have detailed how poor facilities make Kano state health facilities unproductive with many persons especially those in the rural areas left with no access to healthcare.