By Gift ChapiOdekina
The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to investigate the utilisation of over $4.6 billion received by Nigeria from the Global Fund and the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, between 2021 and 2025 for the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, TB, and malaria.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Philip Agbese, who expressed concern over Nigeria’s persistent poor health outcomes, despite massive foreign assistance targeted at eradicating these diseases.
Agbese, in his motion, noted that Nigeria received an estimated $1.8 billion from the Global Fund between 2021 and 2025 and over $2.8 billion from USAID between 2022 and 2024 to combat HIV, malaria, polio, and TB.
Additionally, he said the country benefited from $6 billion in health support through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, to strengthen community and health systems.
Despite these substantial inflows, Agbese lamented that Nigeria continued to rank among the countries with the highest disease burdens globally.
He cited data showing that in 2023 alone, the country recorded 51,000 AIDS-related deaths, including 15,000 among children aged 0-14 years, while Nigeria also ranks first in Africa and sixth globally in tuberculosis burden. The nation similarly accounts for 26.6% of global malaria cases and 31% of global malaria deaths.
He warned that at the current pace, Nigeria risked failing to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, SDG, target of eradicating HIV, TB, and malaria by 2030.
“The House is worried that if something drastic is not done to reassess and reevaluate the utilisation and implementation of these grants with the 8th replenishment in view, Nigeria may continue to lose its population to these diseases.
“While the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare manages the USAID grants, the Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria, CCM, oversees the Global Fund grants – but there has been no coordinated or robust oversight by the National Assembly on how these funds are utilized.
“Under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the legislature has the authority to summon agencies, request documents, and conduct investigations into matters of public interest,” Agbese said.
Adopting the motion, the House resolved to mandate the Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the grants’ utilisation and report back within four weeks.
The House also directed the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to provide details of the implementation plans and National Assembly-approved expenditures for the funds received during the period under review.
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