BudgIT: 31 States Fail To Implement 80% Of 2024 Health Budgets Despite Rising Revenues
By MAHMOOD MALIK MUSA (M.M.M.) IBRAHIM
A new report by BudgIT, a leading civic tech non-profit, has revealed that only seven Nigerian states implemented more than 80% of their health budgets in 2024, despite significant increases in government revenues.
According to the 2025 State of States Report, themed “A Decade of Subnational Fiscal Analysis,” only Yobe, Gombe, Ekiti, Lagos, Edo, Delta, and Bauchi met the benchmark, while Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Kebbi, Jigawa, and 30 other states underperformed.
BudgIT disclosed that Nigerian states collectively budgeted ₦1.32 trillion for health in 2024 but spent just ₦816.64 billion, representing a 61.9% implementation rate. Although Yobe achieved the highest performance (98.2%), it ranked only 24th in total health expenditure with ₦13.24 billion.
On a per capita basis, states spent an average of ₦3,483 per person on health, with no state exceeding ₦10,000. Only Lagos, Bayelsa, Edo, Abia, Kwara, Niger, and Delta surpassed the ₦5,000 per capita threshold.
BudgIT’s Global Director, Oluseun Onigbinde, criticised state governments for failing to translate increased federal allocations into improved social services. He said the report “reflects the choices our state governments make and the opportunities they fail to seize,” urging states to prioritise fiscal accountability, innovation, and investment in health and education.
Similarly, Dr. Uche Amaonwu, Nigeria Country Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, stressed that fiscal transparency is a means to ensure resources reach citizens effectively. He praised BudgIT’s work in promoting accountability and urged states to “take ownership of performance and ensure that every naira allocated delivers real impact.”
Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, a fiscal policy expert, noted that while total state revenues nearly doubled from ₦5.4 trillion in 2023 to ₦11.4 trillion in 2024, most states still rely heavily on federal allocations, with 21 states depending on FAAC for over 70% of their income.
The report ranked Anambra as the top-performing state in fiscal management, followed by Lagos, Kwara, Abia, and Edo, while Yobe replaced Jigawa at the bottom.
BudgIT concluded that to achieve fiscal sustainability, states must improve internal revenue generation, cut waste, and channel funds into infrastructure, education, and healthcare — sectors that directly impact citizens’ lives.
