Health Sector Tracker: How Niger, Kogi states health sector fared financially in two years

By Aminu Abubakar

A SolaceBase review of budget performance documents of Niger state has shown that the state has performed poorly in terms of the health sector for the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years.

The review shows that while the state budget was in billions of naira as health sector expenditure, it barely spends on the same health sector, based on data reviewed from the budget performance reports.

For instance, in 2022, the state budgeted to spend N22 billion but in the end spent N10 billion in the long run as total expenditure.

The fate of capital expenditures meant for development was not any brighter, given that the state spent only N1.6 billion from the N12 billion it budgeted for capital spending in 2022.

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The 2023 figures were not exactly different. In the year, a total sum of N34.4 billion was budgeted.

However, at the end of the year, only N11.4 billion was expended.

In the same year, of the N34.4 billion, N23.2 billion was meant to be for capital expenditure, a sum of N2.9 billion was however spent at the long run.

Niger state has consistently faced challenges that have to do with health.

Over time, it has been reported that the state suffers from issues such as manpower shortage, and poor equipment among others that affect qualitative healthcare delivery.

The infant mortality in Niger state is put at 37 per 1000 live births.

The situation per budget performance review appears better in Kogi state, although the state fails to spend budgeted amounts fully.

The total budget for the health sector of the state in 2023 stood at N11 billion, however, N8.3 billion was spent at the end of the fiscal year.

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Capital expenditure stood at N3.5 billion while only N1.8 billion was spent.

In 2022, Kogi budgeted the sum of N15.1 billion and spent N11.1 billion. In terms of capital needs, it borrowed N8.8 billion and had an actual of N5.7 billion.

Primary healthcare centres in Kogi have been said to lack workers, and also equipment to ensure the delivery of healthcare services that meet the needs of the people, these are important.

Only 21.8% of the population sampled in Kogi Central, for instance, have time for healthcare, the figure stood at 28.4% in Kogi West per the multidimensional poverty index of the NBS.

Already, Kogi state has a 60 per 1000 live births child mortality rate while infant mortality stands at 93 per 1000 live births.