The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of ₦32.88 billion under the second quarter of the 2026 Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to sustain primary health care services and accelerate ongoing health sector reforms across the country.
The approval was granted at the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting on the BHCPF, chaired in Abuja on Friday by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, alongside the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare.
The meeting also approved modalities for the inclusion of private sector stakeholders in the Ministerial Oversight Committee to strengthen health sector governance and directed the MOC Secretariat to formally remind all 36 states of their obligations to provide counterpart funding and equity fund contributions to support the BHCPF.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Pate said the quarterly session reviewed progress under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), assessed implementation challenges, and took key decisions to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.
“Today, the Minister of State for Health and I chaired the 15th Ministerial Oversight Committee on the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and other key national health programmes. This quarterly meeting reviewed progress, examined challenges and agreed on decisions on where we go next,” he said.
The minister said implementation of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in December 2023, was gathering momentum, driven largely by increased investments through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
According to him, ₦339 billion has been disbursed through the BHCPF over the past 12 years, with ₦235 billion released in the last three years alone under the Tinubu administration.
“This shows the intensification of the effort to expand primary healthcare under this administration,” Pate said.
He explained that the funds have supported more than 8,000 primary healthcare centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through quarterly direct facility financing, health insurance for vulnerable populations, emergency medical services and disease outbreak response.
Pate disclosed that 35 states have established emergency medical treatment structures, while Benue and Imo states currently rely on federal institutions. He added that more than 130,000 emergency cases have been managed through services funded by the BHCPF.
He said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has continued to use BHCPF resources to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness for cholera, Lassa fever, meningitis and other infectious diseases.
The minister added that following the recent Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa, the Federal Government had approved emergency preparedness funding for all 36 states through the BHCPF, complementing the presidential task force established to coordinate Nigeria’s preparedness efforts.
On primary healthcare infrastructure, Pate said over 3,000 primary healthcare facilities have already been revitalised to Level 2 standards, while nearly 1,000 others are undergoing upgrades. He added that the government plans to expand direct facility financing from more than 8,000 facilities to about 17,600, with funding adjusted according to disease burden and population needs.
He also revealed that about 40 per cent of BHCPF resources allocated to primary healthcare facilities are currently being spent on essential drugs and medical commodities.
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While acknowledging that some state governments have complemented federal investments, Pate urged all states and local governments to fully implement their counterpart funding commitments.
“We call on all state governments to co-fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. The 25 per cent contribution from states and the 15 per cent from local governments would increase available resources for primary healthcare by an additional 40 per cent on top of what the Federal Government is already providing,” he said.
The minister said preliminary findings from the 2026 Mini Demographic and Health Survey indicate improvements in key health indicators since the launch of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
“We are beginning to see data that shows progress in key outcomes at the population level. Whether it is antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, contraceptive prevalence, immunisation, child health or HIV, we are seeing an upward trend. This tells us we should double down on these reforms,” he said.
Pate further disclosed that national health insurance coverage has expanded from about 15 million beneficiaries at the start of the current administration to over 22 million, with more than six million additional Nigerians enrolled in the past three years.
He said more than 48,000 women have received free comprehensive emergency obstetric services, including caesarean sections, through federal funding, while over 4,700 women have undergone free vesicovaginal fistula repairs in 237 health facilities nationwide. In addition, more than 2,900 newborns have benefited from specialised neonatal care programmes funded under the initiative.
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