By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has concluded arrangements to investigate the utilisation of over $4.6 billion health grants received from 2021-2025 from the Global Fund and USAID.
This followed growing concerns on the persistent high rate of HIV, Tuberculosis, as well as malaria despite massive international funding.
It took the decision following a motion moved by Philip Agbese during plenary yesterday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
In his lead debate, Agbese disclosed that Nigeria had received approximately $1.8billion from Global Fund and over $2.8billion from USAID within the specified period to combat HIV, TB, malaria among other health challenges.
The lawmaker revealed that Nigeria had consistently benefited more than $6billion in health assistance under the United State President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, from 2021 to 2025, aimed at strengthening the health system in the country, as well as in reducing disease burden.
Agbese expressed concern that despite the enormous financial inflow, the country had continued to rank among the worst affected globally in HIV, TB and Malaria prevalence.
The lawmaker also cited official data that in 2023 alone, about 15,000 Nigerian children aged zero to 14 died of AIDS related causes, while 51,000 AIDS related deaths were recorded nationwide.
He explained that Nigeria currently ranks third globally in HIV deaths and remains Africa’s highest on TB burdened nations, accounting for about 4.6 percent of the global TB load.
Agbese noted that the country shoulders over 26 percent of global malaria cases and 31 percent of global malaria deaths.
He lamented that such statistics paint a troubling picture of ineffective grant utilisation, weak accountability, as well as poor coordination between implementing agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Country Coordinating Mechanism that oversee Global Fund projects.
He emphasised that without urgent legislative intervention, Nigeria stands the high risk of failing to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, SDG, 2030 target for eliminating these diseases.
In their contributions, other lawmakers expressed worry that there had been no robust oversight of how these grants were deployed, despite the National Assembly’s constitutional powers under Sections 88 and 89 to summon and scrutinise public and non-governmental agencies handling national projects.
They equally stressed that unchecked mismanagement or inefficiency could lead to continuous waste of foreign aid, while Nigerians keep dying from preventable illnesses day in day out.
Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the utilisation of all grants received from 2021- 2025.
It also mandated the committee to ensure strict adherence to the motion and report its findings within four weeks for further legislative action.
The lawmakers also directed the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to submit all detailed implementation plans, expenditure records and the necessary approvals obtained for the utilisation of the Global Fund and USAID grants.
They insisted that transparency and accountability in these health interventions are vital in saving lives, restoring public confidence, as well as ensuring that Nigeria achieves global health targets for the benefit of citizens.
