Millennium development goals, government health spending, infant and maternal mortality rates in Nigeria

Following the Millennium Declaration of 2000, Nigeria began the systematic implementation of several policies and programmes, through enhanced government spending, to help attain the different targets set for the MDGs by 2015, among which are to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. As such, this study, using majorly descriptive statistics analysis, evaluates the effect of government spending in improving both the child and maternal mortality rates with a view of assessing the progress so far made and whether or not the 2015 MDG targets will be met. The study found that Nigeria have not performed well with respect to reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. In fact, the progress toward meeting the 2015 MDG target for mortality has either been slow or worsening. Consequently the study suggested among others that for Nigeria to advance significantly towards achieving the MDGs in 2015, there is need for government at all levels needs to maintain and intensify all the policies, programmes and interventions aimed at reducing the infant mortality rate in recent years as well as give priority to areas like the development of a monitoring framework to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the use of resources, the provision of technical assistance for primary health care delivery and broadening the coverage of health insurance.