The Federal Government has committed ₦700 billion to tackling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and immunisation, according to Dr Amobi Ogah, Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Ogah disclosed this on Tuesday, March 18, during a press conference in Abuja ahead of the 2025 World Tuberculosis Day, observed annually on March 24. This year’s theme is “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, invest, and deliver.”
Commending the government’s efforts, Ogah said, “I must commend the Federal Government of Nigeria, led by Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, for injecting the whooping sum of ₦700bn for the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and immunisation. This was made possible with the help of our minister who is so dear to this country who believes that we can achieve it.”
The funding comes amid the withdrawal of financial support for these diseases by the US government.
Ogah assured that the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria would continue to push for legislative measures to strengthen the fight against tuberculosis in Nigeria.
He also urged the government to advocate for an increase in the Global Fund’s TB allocation from 18% to 30%.
“We have also concluded plans to pass a law that will protect persons affected by TB from discrimination and stigmatisation. We will also ensure robust oversight of all MDAs and key stakeholders, in accordance with the responsibilities of implementing programmes aimed at combating HIV, AIDS, TB, and malaria control in our dear country,” he said.
Emphasising accountability, Ogah stated, “The committee on HIV will ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of these funds to ensure that funds made for interventions and programmes are judiciously spent and not mismanaged.
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“I want to assure you that we in the committee will continue to champion increase on domestic funding, that is the key.”
Dr Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, Acting Board Chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, highlighted the challenges of TB despite advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
“With the unwavering commitment of healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and advocates, alongside innovations such as shorter treatment regimens and digital adherence technologies, we are closer than ever to eliminating TB,” she said.
She noted that the Stop TB Partnership had made significant progress through advocacy, collaboration, and policy reforms.
*“Our advocacy for increased resources, health policy reforms, and service integration for TB in Nigeria remains unwavering. We will continue to push for a Nigeria free of tuberculosis through our strategies – high-level advocacy, collaboration and partnership, capacity building, and research and information dissemination.
“As we all know, in light of the dwindling donor support, we need to intensify our advocacy for domestic resources for TB now more than ever.
“I encourage everyone to use their voices to support this cause. Let us work together, push for stronger policies, advocate for more domestic resources, and drive initiatives that focus on TB prevention, detection, and treatment,”* she urged.
Dr Godwin Ntadom, Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, reported that Nigeria had achieved record-high TB case detection through collaboration with partners.
“The country had its highest-ever TB notification of more than 400,000 TB cases identified in 2024 out of the estimated 506,000 Nigerians with TB.
“This translated to about 79% treatment coverage and deserves commendation. Similarly, we have made good progress in TB notification among children, increasing from just 8,293”.