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The House of Representatives has resolved to invetestigate the utilisation $4.6 billion received by Nigeria from the Global Fund and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) between 2021 and 2025. Nigeria has received an estimated $1.8 billion in grants from the Global Fund between 2021 and 2025, and over $2.8 million from USAID between 2022 and 2024 to address health challenges such as HIV, malaria, polio and tuberculosis. The House added that the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) contributed over $6 billion to Nigeria from 2021 to 2025 for combating HIV/AIDS and strengthening health and community systems. Read also: Adamawa records 8,850 new HIV infections in four years – Agency The House expressed concerns that despite these “significant” investments, Nigeria remains burdened by public health threats, including15,000 AIDS-related deaths among children aged 0-14 in 2023, 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2023, ranking Nigeria third globally in HIV-related deaths. Lawmakers also highlighted that Nigeria has the highest malaria burden globally, with 26.6% of cases and 31% of deaths worldwide, and ranks first in Africa and sixth globally in TB burden, accounting for 4.6% of the global burden. The resolution to probe utilisation of the funds was reached during plrnary on session on Tuesday following a motion sponsored by Amobi Ogah, Lawmaker representing Abia, represented by Philio Agbese, deputy spokesperson of the House. The House reaveled that there had been no comprehensive and coordinated oversight by the National Assembly regarding the implementation and utilisation of the grants, and warned that without immediate reevaluation and robust oversight, Nigeria risks failing to meet the 2030 elimination target, continuing to bear an enormous disease burden. The House, therefore, mandated its Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to investigate the utilisation of grants received by Nigeria from 2021 to 2025 for combating HIV, TB, and malaria and report within four weeks for further legislative action.
