By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA) has urged the Kogi State Government to recruit more health workers and strengthen accountability in healthcare spending, warning that increased investment must translate into better services for residents.
The call followed Kogi’s reported third-place ranking among Nigerian states in the proportion of health capital expenditure to state revenue in 2025.
In a statement issued in Lokoja on Monday, INGRA’s Executive Director, Hamza Ibrahim Aliyu, said the organisation’s analysis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum State Actuals for 2020–2025 showed that Kogi’s health capital expenditure accounted for approximately 7.08 per cent of its reported revenue in 2025.
The state ranked behind Ondo and Oyo, according to the analysis.
INGRA described the development as an encouraging indication of government attention to healthcare but stressed that spending levels alone were insufficient to guarantee accessible and quality medical services.
The organisation identified shortages of doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory professionals and community health workers as critical challenges requiring urgent attention.
It called on the government to assess staffing needs across public health facilities and introduce a phased recruitment, deployment and retention programme, with particular emphasis on rural and underserved communities.
INGRA also urged improvements in working conditions, staff incentives and opportunities for continuous professional development to attract and retain qualified personnel.
It warned that investments in hospital buildings and primary healthcare infrastructure would have limited impact without adequate staffing, essential medicines, diagnostic services and functional equipment.
Beyond recruitment, the organisation demanded greater transparency in the management of healthcare funds.
It urged the government to publish regular information on budget allocations, fund releases, cash backing and actual expenditure, clearly distinguishing capital spending from recurrent expenditure.
INGRA further called for detailed disclosures showing how resources were distributed among healthcare facilities, programmes and local government areas.
It advocated periodic public expenditure and performance reports, stronger legislative and civil society oversight, and accessible mechanisms through which residents could monitor health projects, staffing levels, medicines and equipment.
The organisation also urged the government to investigate and publicly explain any gaps between reported expenditure and the delivery of essential healthcare services.
According to INGRA, the ultimate measure of Kogi’s health investment should be its impact on residents, including pregnant women’s access to skilled care, timely treatment for children and the availability of functional laboratories and quality medical services in rural communities.
While commending the state’s reported ranking, the organisation maintained that sustained investment must be matched by adequate personnel, transparent spending and measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.
It urged the government to make recruitment, transparency and accountability central to future health-sector spending. (Ends)
