Bauchi Allocates 15% to Health as Immunization Funding Hits N1bn in 2026 Budget
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Bauchi State has recorded a major milestone in health financing with the allocation of 15 per cent of its 2026 budget to the health sector, while immunization funding surged to N1 billion, a development credited to sustained advocacy by the Zero Dose Learning Hope (ZDLH) Community of Practice (CoP) and the African Health Budget Network (AHBN).
The breakthrough also includes dedicated funding for legislative oversight functions by the Bauchi State House of Assembly Health Committee, aimed at strengthening accountability and effective monitoring of public health and immunization investments across the state.
The commitment was confirmed during a high-level advocacy dinner convened by former Director-General of the National Troupes of Nigeria, Malam Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed.
The event was attended by the Convener and Chief Executive Officer of AHBN, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, Co-Chairman of the AHBN Board, Hon. Mohammed Usman, and the AHBN Bauchi State Focal Person, alongside members of the State Assembly.
At the meeting, lawmakers pledged to prioritize oversight costs, now formally embedded in the Assembly’s 2026 appropriation, to enable regular monitoring visits to health facilities, particularly those benefiting from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The development highlights AHBN’s growing influence in legislative advocacy, especially its support for oversight of under-resourced primary healthcare facilities, with the goal of improving service delivery, reducing leakages, and expanding access for vulnerable communities.
The momentum was reinforced by outcomes of the recent Lagos Conference jointly organized by AHBN and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), which produced the Lagos Declaration on strengthened health financing and accountability.
Lawmakers from Bauchi who attended the conference reportedly returned energized, directly shaping the new budget priorities.
Stakeholders have hailed the development as a significant step toward universal health coverage, with expectations of improved immunization outcomes, better-equipped facilities, and more equitable distribution of health resources across Bauchi State.
