The Federal Government has disbursed ₦32.9 billion to states and primary healthcare centres across Nigeria in its latest effort to strengthen access to quality healthcare services.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, disclosed this during the third-quarter Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting, explaining that the funds were released under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and guided by the newly launched BHCPF 2.0 Guidelines.
According to the Minister, the new framework is designed to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery nationwide by improving facility operations, providing stipends for health workers, and expanding access to essential services.
He described the initiative as a major milestone in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health reform agenda.
Professor Pate revealed that a joint task force, in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is monitoring fund utilization to ensure transparency and accountability at the community level.
He commended state governors, commissioners for health, and development partners for their continued support in strengthening Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
Highlighting progress, the Minister said over 21 million Nigerians are now covered by health insurance, with 11,000 pregnant women receiving emergency medical treatment, 15,000 accessing obstetric care, and 500,000 covered for maternal services through the BHCPF.
He added that over 80 million visits were recorded at primary healthcare centres in the first half of 2025 — a fourfold increase from 2023 — reflecting renewed public confidence in the healthcare system.
Pate further announced plans to commission a mini Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in 2026 to provide updated data for assessing maternal and child health outcomes.
He also noted significant success in the ongoing integrated immunisation campaign, targeting 106 million children aged 0–14 years against measles, rubella, polio, and neglected tropical diseases.
The campaign, he said, has already achieved over 92% uptake in northern states, surpassing initial projections.
Reporting by Abiola Peters