Following growing concerns on persistent high rates of HIV, tuberculosis (TB), as well as malaria despite massive international funding, the House of Representatives has concluded arrangements to investigate the utilisation of over $4.6 billion in health grants received by Nigeria from 2021 to 2025 from the Global Fund and USAID.

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Philip Agbese during plenary at the National Assembly Complex Abuja.

In his lead debate for the motion, Agbese disclosed that Nigeria has received approximately $1.8 billion from the Global Fund and over $2.8 billion from USAID within the specified period to combat HIV, TB, malaria among other health challenges.

Speaking further on his motion, the lawmaker revealed that Nigeria has consistently benefited from more than $6 billion in health assistance under the United State President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, from 2021 to 2025 maintaining that the programme was aimed at strengthening health systems in the country, as well as in reducing disease burdens across the federation.

Earlier, while speaking persuasively to convince his fellow lawmakers and colleagues on reasons to support the motion, Agbese expressed deep concern that despite enormous financial inflows the country continues to rank among the worst affected countries globally in the fight against HIV, TB, and malaria.

To buttress his points, the lawmaker also cited official data where he informed that in 2023 alone, about 15,000 Nigerian children aged from 0 to 14 died of AIDS related causes, while 51,000 total AIDS related deaths were recorded nationwide.

He, however, explained that Nigeria is currently ranked third globally in HIV deaths and remains Africa’s highest on TB burdened nations accounting for about 4.6 per cent of the global TB load.

Furthermore, Agbese noted that the country shoulders over 26 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global malaria deaths.

Agbese therefore used the opportunity to lamente that such statistics paint a troubling picture of ineffective grant utilisation, weak accountability, as well as poor coordination between implementing agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Country Coordinating Mechanism which oversees Global Fund projects.

He, however, emphasised that without urgent legislative intervention, Nigeria stands high risk of failing to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 2030 target for eliminating these diseases.

In their contributions, lawmakers also expressed worry that there has been no robust oversight of how these grants to Nigerians were deployed, despite the National Assembly’s constitutional powers under sections 88 and 89 to summon and scrutinise public and non-governmental agencies handling national funds projects.

Lawmakers equally stressed that unchecked mismanagement or inefficiency could lead to continuous waste of foreign aid while Nigerians keep dying from preventable illnesses day in day out.

Consequently, the Green Chamber used the opportunity to mandate its Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the utilisation of all grants received from 2021 to 2025.

The House, therefore, mandated its committee to ensure strict adherence to the motion and report its findings within four weeks for further legislative action.

Lawmakers also directed the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to submit all detailed implementation plans, expenditure records, and all necessary approvals obtained for the utilisation of the Global Fund and USAID grants.

They insisted that transparency and accountability in these health interventions are very vital to saving lives, restoring public confidence, as well as ensuring Nigeria achieves global health targets for the benefit of all her citizens.