​FG Urges States to Prioritize Basic Education and Healthcare in Budgets

​ABUJA — The Federal Government has urged state governments to align their annual budgets with long-term development plans and sector priorities to improve the delivery of basic education and primary healthcare.
​The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Deborah Odoh, stated that credible budgeting must accurately reflect government priorities to ensure public resources yield better outcomes for Nigerians.
​Odoh spoke on Monday in Abuja at a technical capacity-building workshop on Disbursement-Linked Indicator 2 (DLI 2) of the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance Programme (HOPE-GOV).
​She noted that the upcoming 2027 budget process provides an opportunity for states to bridge the gap between development plans, sector policies, operational plans, and budget execution.
​“A fundamental principle underlying DLI 2 is that budgeting must not be undertaken in isolation from planning,” Odoh said. “A credible budget should be the financial expression of government priorities and the activities intended to achieve them.”
​She stressed that increasing public spending alone will not resolve sector challenges unless accompanied by robust execution, project prioritization, and accountability frameworks. “We cannot achieve meaningful improvements in basic education and primary healthcare by simply increasing expenditure. We must improve the quality of planning, budgeting, execution, and accountability systems,” she added.
​The call comes amid alarming figures disclosed by Maryam Sani Dangaji, Director of Teacher Professional Development at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), who revealed that approximately 70 percent of Nigerian children of primary school age cannot read or comprehend simple text.
​Dangaji also disclosed that as of August 2026, over N65 billion in counterpart funds remained unaccessed by states, while nearly N267 billion in released intervention funds remained unspent.
​“Our goal at UBEC is clear: every child in school, and every child learning,” Dangaji said. “Spending more will not achieve this by itself; we must spend better.”
​Highlighting additional structural challenges across sectors:
​Out-of-School Children: Dr. Layi Olatunwura, National Project Coordinator for HOPE-EDU, stated that estimates of out-of-school children in Nigeria range between 12 million and 17 million—including at least six million girls. The HOPE program aims to reach 29 million children and support 500,000 public school teachers over four years.
​Healthcare Delivery: HOPE-PHC National Coordinator Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq noted that fragmented data and weak governance continue to hinder primary healthcare delivery across states, urging authorities to ensure health priorities are properly funded and executed.
​Healthcare Funding: Onesirosan Omawumi Daibo, representing the Executive Director and CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, reported that N77.7 billion has been disbursed through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to 8,309 primary healthcare facilities nationwide.
​Supported by the World Bank, the HOPE programme seeks to strengthen state-level governance and institutional capacity to ensure public spending translates into measurable improvements in basic education and healthcare.