Reps Resume $4.6bn Health Grants Probe, Urge Support

House of Representatives Committee on Infectious Diseases has resumed a full probe into the over $4.6 billion grants received by Nigeria from international donors between 2021 and 2025 for the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The House had mandated the committee to investigate the $1.8 billion the country received from the Global Fund and the $2.8 billion taken from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) within the period for responding to killer diseases.

At the resumed investigative hearing, the committee’s chairman, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah (LP, Abia), said the panel, after two initial sittings, faced protracted delay owing to Sallah and Easter breaks.

Ogah called for maximum cooperation from key stakeholders involved in the investigative hearing to ensure the exercise’s success.

He reiterated that the probe was not to witch-hunt anybody or a vendetta, rather it was borne out of the desire to put Nigeria and Nigerians at the epicentre of all policy thrust, especially on issues of public health threats, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

“It is also to restore confidence in our international donor partners in our adherence to transparency and accountability, and to ensure that whatever grant we receive must be judiciously expended.

“We must therefore ensure that leaders, both at government and non-governmental levels, do the right thing to ensure we get it right with the implementation of programmes to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases in our country.

“We commend the Global Fund and all international partners for their support to our health systems on one hand, and all key stakeholders and non-state actors for their immense contributions and collaborations in the response against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other infectious diseases.

“Permit me to remind the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria that going forward, the National Assembly will request the submission of all implementation plans by principal recipients and implementing partners of Global Fund grants in Nigeria to the parliament for approval.

“We also expect quarterly reports of the activities of all recipients and sub-recipients, and key implementing partners of Global Fund grants from the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism in Nigeria. As we await the process for the disbursement of the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund grant within a few months’ time, it is expected that this process will become operational,” Ogah added.

He called for continued collaboration among key stakeholders and the committee to eliminate duplication by allocating resources to areas that will provide greater value to Nigerians.