The House of Representatives on Tuesday directed its Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to investigate the utilisation of over $4.6 billion in foreign grants 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 a motion moved by Reps member, Philip Agbese, who expressed concern that despite the massive inflow of donor funds, Nigeria continues to record one of the highest disease burdens in the world.
Agbese noted that Nigeria received $1.8 billion from the Global Fund for HIV, TB and malaria response between 2021 and 2025, and another $2.8 billion from USAID for health threats including HIV, malaria, polio and TB between 2022 and 2024.
He added that the country also benefitted from over $6 billion in health assistance from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) within the same period.
The lawmaker lamented that despite these huge investments, the nation’s health outcomes remain dire.
“In 2023, approximately 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occurred among Nigerian children aged 0–14, while a total of 51,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded nationwide,” Agbese said.
He further pointed out that Nigeria ranks third globally in HIV deaths, first in Africa and sixth worldwide in tuberculosis burden, and bears the highest malaria burden globally, accounting for about 26.6 percent of global malaria cases and 31 percent of malaria deaths.
Agbese said the lack of a “coordinated and robust oversight” of implementing agencies by the National Assembly may have contributed to the poor results despite billions in funding.Citing Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He said the legislature has the constitutional power to summon any ministry, agency or non-governmental organisation for accountability in the utilisation of public or donor funds.
The House therefore resolved to mandate the Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to investigate how the grants were used between 2021 and 2025 and to report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
“To mandate the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to investigate the utilisation of the grants received by Nigeria from 2021 to 2025 for the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
Mandate the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to provide the implementation plan and approvals granted by the National Assembly for the utilisation and expenditure of these grants,” the motion read in part.
The House also directed the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to submit the implementation plan and evidence of National Assembly approval for the expenditure of the grants.
Agbese warned that unless drastic steps are taken to reevaluate how donor funds are managed, Nigeria risks failing to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of eliminating HIV, TB, and malaria by 2030.
