AHBN Issues 2025 Immunization Budget Accountability Scorecard,Lauds Borno’s Performance
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), working closely with its Communities of Practice (CoP) across Bauchi, Borno, Kano, and Sokoto States, has highlighted key findings from the latest Immunization Budget Accountability Scorecard covering the 2025 fiscal year.
The findings are contained in a statement signed by AHBN’s Coordinator,Dr.Aminu Magashi Garba.
In the highlights, Dr.Magashi said Borno State achieved a major milestone in 2025, with the health sector budget reaching the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark for the first time.
“This achievement, alongside Penta 1 and Penta 3 coverage rates above 75% and an allocation of ₦234 million to immunization services, reflects positive momentum in health financing and immunization performance within the state.
“Building on years of evidence-based tracking and citizen-led accountability, the scorecard examines government commitments to immunization financing, budget allocation, releases, and service delivery outcomes,” he said.
He also stated that while the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) initiative supported by GAVI with technical partnership from AFENET had formally concluded in December 2025, AHBN and the CoP remain committed to sustaining accountability efforts that promote equitable access to life-saving vaccines, particularly for zero-dose children in 2026 and beyond.
He,however, said that the scorecard identified persistent gaps in data transparency and access, which limit effective tracking of health sector expenditures.
According to him,restricted access to data makes it challenging to comprehensively assess budget performance, including the implementation of Direct Facility Funding (DFF) introduced in 2025.
“Strengthening data openness will be essential to enabling informed advocacy and sustaining accountability in the health sector,” the Coordinator added.