By Maryam Shuaibu
The Federal Government has disbursed N339 billion to states through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) since its establishment in 2014, with N235 billion released in the last three years, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has said.
Mr Pate said the increased funding reflects the current administration’s renewed commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and expanding access to essential health services across the country.
He spoke on Friday in Abuja after chairing the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting on the implementation of the BHCPF and ongoing health sector reforms.
“In the last 12 years of BHCPF, N339 billion was disbursed to states, out of which N235 billion was disbursed only in the last three years,” the minister said.
According to him, the committee also approved N32.88 billion as the second-quarter 2026 BHCPF disbursement to sustain primary healthcare services nationwide.
Mr Pate added that members of the committee endorsed plans to include private sector representatives in the Ministerial Oversight Committee to strengthen stakeholder participation in health sector governance.
More PHCs receiving support
The minister said more than 8,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the 36 states are currently benefiting from BHCPF funding through various implementation gateways.
He explained that the funds are channelled through agencies including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and emergency medical services.
Mr Pate disclosed that the government is assessing plans to expand support to 17,600 PHCs nationwide.
He also revealed that the NPHCDA has upgraded more than 3,000 primary healthcare centres at different stages across the country.
Emergency care and disease preparedness
According to the minister, investments under the BHCPF have strengthened emergency healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
He said 35 states have established emergency medical service structures, while the remaining states continue to rely on federal institutions for emergency response.
More than 130,000 Nigerians have benefited from emergency medical services financed through the fund, he added.
Mr Pate said the NCDC has continued to assist states in improving disease surveillance, outbreak detection, and emergency response systems.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government has approved additional funding for all 36 states to strengthen preparedness against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) following recent developments in parts of Africa.
Health indicators improve
The minister said preliminary findings from the 2026 Mini Demographic and Health Survey (Mini-DHS) indicate progress in several key health indicators since the implementation of the National Health Sector Renewal Initiative.
According to him, the survey recorded improvements in antenatal care attendance, skilled birth attendance, contraceptive use, immunisation coverage, child health services, and HIV services.
“The purpose was to see if we are making progress, and we are glad to see that there is progress. It means we have to double down,” he said.
Mr Pate also revealed that health insurance enrolment has increased from about 15 million beneficiaries at the beginning of the current administration to more than 22 million, with over six million Nigerians newly enrolled within the last three years.
Maternal and newborn care
The minister said more than 48,000 women have received free comprehensive emergency obstetric care through 237 participating health facilities across the country.
He noted that many of the beneficiaries would have been unable to afford life-saving procedures such as caesarean sections without government support.
Mr Pate further disclosed that the Federal Government’s Free Fistula Programme has provided corrective surgeries for more than 4,771 women, alongside rehabilitation and reintegration support.
He added that over 2,900 newborns have also benefited from the government’s neonatal healthcare programme.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening accountability, improving coordination, and ensuring the efficient use of public health resources to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across Nigeria.