Resource Type: Report
Published: August 2018

Resource Description: One of the well-known reasons for the poor performance of Nigeria’s health system is the chronic underfunding of the health sector. Nigeria still spends less than 5% of its GDP on healthcare (National Health Accounts, 2010-2014). In 2001, African presidents met and made amongst other declarations, spending not less than 15% of yearly budget on health. Although the “Abuja declaration” was made in Nigeria, the country is still far from reaching this target. Although government has an obligation to fund other equally important sectors to support economic development; it remains imperative for the government to do more to generate additional revenue for the broader economy, part of which can accrue to the health sector.

USAID recognizes the importance as well as the need for the Nigerian government to increase health spending in order to improve health outcomes. As a result, the agency, through its Health Finance and Governance Project, is conducting a fiscal space analysis to enable the identification of sources of additional funding for Akwa Ibom state’s health sector. It is hoped that the assessment will enable the state to identify and better mobilize domestic funds to be used to fill gaps on equipment availability, human resource for health, and drugs in facilities amongst other needs, with the ultimate goal of improving quality of health services and access to health care with financial risk protection in the state.