The Kano State Government has surpassed the 15 per cent health funding benchmark recommended by the Abuja Declaration, making it one of the few states in Nigeria to do so.
According to official figures from the state Ministry of Health, the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf allocated more than 15 per cent of its annual budget to the health sector in both 2024 and 2025 — the highest in the state’s history.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, said the development marked a turning point in the government’s commitment to achieving universal health coverage.
In a statement released on Monday by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Nabilusi Abubakar K/Na’isa, the commissioner described the move as a bold and progressive step.
“This historic achievement reflects our determination to ensure that every resident of Kano State has access to quality healthcare services,” Yusuf said.
He explained that the increased budgetary allocation had already begun to yield results in infrastructure development, recruitment of health workers, and the provision of modern medical equipment across public hospitals.
The Abuja Declaration, signed by African Heads of State in 2001, urged member countries to allocate at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to healthcare.
With this performance, Kano joins a small number of subnational governments in Africa that have met or exceeded the target.
Yusuf said the funding was driving the implementation of the Kano State Health Strategic Development Plan, which focuses on accountability, sustainability, and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
He added that the state government was also working closely with development partners and community-based organisations to sustain ongoing reforms and ensure that public funds translate into measurable health outcomes.
Governor Yusuf’s administration has, in recent months, embarked on the renovation of general hospitals, supplied advanced medical equipment, and approved the recruitment of additional medical staff to close existing manpower gaps.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consolidating the gains achieved so far through ongoing collaboration with stakeholders to strengthen the health system and improve residents’ well-being.
