The federal government said it has approved the sum of $1.70 billion to improve governance and healthcare delivery for Nigerians under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity – Governance (HOPE – Governance), alongside the inter-related Primary Health Care Provision Strengthening projects.
This came as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday also announced that the 299th meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) earlier scheduled for February 17 and 18, 2025, will now take place on February 19 and 20.
The CBN disclosed this in a statement, adding that the update voids speculations around the date of the meetings amid delays by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to release the rebased Consumer Price Index(CPI).
Ahead of the MPC meeting, there have been mixed expectations on whether the apex bank would further hike the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), the benchmark interest rate amid current realities.
The central bank earlier released the meeting calendar for the MPC this year.
The committee, which will meet five times this year, was billed to convene its first meeting February 17-18, according to the calendar.
The MPC is the highest policy-making body of the central bank. The second meeting is expected to be held May 19-20, and the third July 21-22.
The fourth meeting will hold September 22-23, while MPC’s last meeting for the year will take place between November 24 and 25.
MPC makes decisions about monetary policy and reviews economic and financial conditions, determines policy stances, and communicates policy decisions to the public.
The committee’s resolutions are geared towards ensuring that the apex bank achieves its primary mandate of price stability.
However, in a statement, Director Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Osagie Jacobs Julie, said the health funding intervention was announced at the recent meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
She explained that the HOPE -PHC project aimed to improve utilisation of quality essential health care services and health system resilience in the country.
On the other hand, governance reforms entrenched in HOPE-Governance will support improvements in healthcare financing; enhance transparency and accountability; and increase recruitment, deployment and performance management of primary healthcare workers by the federal, state and local governments.
The HOPE -PHC project will be driven by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare while the HOPE -Governance project will be anchored by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
