The Federal Government has commenced direct financing of 8,309 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the country under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), as part of efforts to improve access to essential healthcare services and strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja to mark three years of the implementation of the BHCPF under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Salako said the government planned to extend direct financing to an additional 5,212 primary healthcare facilities, bringing the total number of centres expected to benefit to 13,512.
He explained that the initiative was designed to ensure that primary healthcare facilities had predictable funding to meet operational needs, obtain essential medical supplies and provide reliable services, particularly in underserved communities.
“With predictable financing, we expect our covered PHCs to meet basic operational needs, obtain essential supplies, and provide more reliable maternal, newborn, child, and preventive healthcare, particularly in communities that historically have limited access,” the minister said.
He stressed that the success of the programme would be measured not only by the amount of money released but also by its impact on healthcare delivery at the grassroots.
“The test is not whether a release appears in the ledger, but whether the intended facility receives the funds and delivers the service,” Salako said.
According to him, the BHCPF remains a critical instrument for addressing gaps in primary healthcare delivery and ensuring that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can access essential medical services.
“The Basic Health Care Provision Fund was designed to give practical effect to the basic obligation of government that Nigerians, especially those who are poor or vulnerable, have access to essential health care,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had released ₦432.3 billion to the BHCPF since the first disbursement in September 2019, with ₦323.6 billion disbursed as of the briefing.
He said ₦249.6 billion, representing 77.1 per cent of the amount disbursed, had been released during the last three years of the Tinubu administration.
Salako added that the Ministerial Oversight Committee had approved an additional ₦40.758 billion for the third quarter of 2026, a development expected to increase total disbursements to approximately ₦364 billion.
He explained that the latest approval would support healthcare delivery through designated funding gateways, including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), emergency medical treatment and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
According to the minister, the funding structure was intended to ensure that resources reached the appropriate institutions and supported specific healthcare priorities.
He said the government was working to expand access to quality healthcare while improving transparency and accountability in the management of public health resources.
“The goal is to expand access to quality health care, make every naira that is spent traceable and deliver primary health care services equitably, efficiently and transparently,” Salako said.
He added that improved financing was expected to strengthen essential services, including maternal and newborn healthcare, childhood immunisation, preventive medicine and the treatment of common illnesses.
The minister also disclosed that attendance at primary healthcare facilities had increased from 34.55 million in 2023 to 43.06 million by the second quarter of 2026.
He said the increase reflected progress in efforts to improve access to primary healthcare, although sustained investment and cooperation among the different levels of government remained necessary.
On health insurance, Salako said the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance schemes had risen from approximately 16.2 million in 2023 to 23.06 million by the third quarter of 2026.
He added that more than three million vulnerable Nigerians with National Identification Numbers had been identified as beneficiaries of BHCPF-supported healthcare interventions.
The minister said the government was particularly concerned about reducing the financial burden of medical treatment on families who might otherwise be unable to afford essential services.
“Our guiding principle is that the family should not be driven into poverty because of costly treatment,” he said.
Salako further disclosed that 96,068 women and babies had benefited from medical interventions supported by the programme, including emergency caesarean sections and treatment and rehabilitation services for women living with obstetric fistula.
He also said health insurance coverage had been approved for approximately 90,000 inmates in correctional facilities as part of efforts to extend healthcare access to vulnerable populations.
On emergency medical services, the minister highlighted the importance of strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to health emergencies and improving access to timely treatment.
He said the programme’s emergency medical treatment component was intended to help ensure that patients in urgent need of care could receive appropriate attention without unnecessary delays.
“The purpose of the Gateway is to help ensure that surveillance, preparedness, and response can be mobilised promptly, with states equipped to meet their own responsibilities,” he said.
Salako emphasised that the Federal Government could not independently achieve a functional primary healthcare system without the active participation of state governments.
“The Federal Government cannot achieve a functioning primary healthcare system on behalf of states without their sustained participation,” he said.
He urged state governments to fulfil their obligations under the BHCPF, ensure the effective use of allocated resources and strengthen accountability in the delivery of healthcare services.
The minister maintained that improved funding must translate into better-equipped facilities, more reliable medical services and greater public confidence in the healthcare system.
He also stressed the need to ensure that pregnant women and other vulnerable patients were not denied essential medical care because of inadequate facilities or financial constraints.
“A pregnant woman should not be denied skilled care because the community lacks functional facilities. And Nigerians should have confidence that the public resources appropriated for their health are reaching the places where care is delivered,” Salako said.
He said the government would continue to pursue reforms aimed at expanding primary healthcare coverage, improving the availability of essential medicines and strengthening the financial protection of Nigerians seeking medical treatment.
The minister added that the long-term objective was to build a healthcare system that was accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of communities across the country.