FG Approves ₦40.7bn For Primary Healthcare, Expands Coverage To Over 13,000 Facilities
......Pate announces additional 5,000 facilities as government moves to strengthen grassroots healthcare delivery
By Umar U Duguri
The Federal Government has approved ₦40.7 billion for primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while expanding the number of facilities benefiting from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to more than 13,000.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the approval on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of the 16th Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting on the fund.
Pate explained that the ₦40.7 billion represents the Federal Government’s contribution from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the quarter, underscoring the administration’s continued investment in strengthening primary healthcare services nationwide.
The government is also expanding coverage by an additional 5,000 primary healthcare facilities, with their selection to be guided by equity considerations, including population, disease burden and distance to existing healthcare services.
The expansion is expected to extend support to more communities and improve access to essential medical services, particularly for Nigerians in rural and underserved areas.
Quarterly Funding To Strengthen Healthcare Delivery
The latest approval builds on the existing BHCPF financing framework, established to improve access to essential healthcare services, strengthen primary healthcare facilities and reduce the financial burden of medical treatment on vulnerable Nigerians.
Under the arrangement, funds are channelled through designated implementing agencies and gateways, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
State-level disbursements under these gateways are made through State Primary Health Care Boards and State Social Health Insurance Agencies, respectively, in line with the applicable guidelines.
The funding supports essential interventions designed to improve the availability and quality of primary healthcare services, including maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, disease prevention and access to basic medical treatment.
The BHCPF is also intended to strengthen financial protection for poor and vulnerable households by improving access to essential services without imposing excessive out-of-pocket costs.
More Support For Frontline Health Workers
Beyond expanding the number of supported facilities, Pate said savings made through the NPHCDA would be used to support the recruitment of frontline health workers.
According to the minister, the Federal Government plans to provide support for the workers for three years, after which state governments are expected to assume responsibility for their continued employment and progressively recruit additional personnel.
The initiative addresses one of the major challenges facing primary healthcare delivery: the shortage of qualified personnel needed to provide consistent and effective services.
Adequate staffing remains essential to ensuring that expanded facilities translate into improved healthcare outcomes rather than merely increasing the number of centres listed under a government programme.
Government Targets Better Value For Healthcare Spending
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the government was also working to improve the efficiency of healthcare expenditure.
He disclosed that the Ministerial Oversight Committee discussed the joint procurement of medicines and other health commodities to secure better prices and improve the availability of essential supplies at primary healthcare facilities.
The approach is intended to ensure that increased funding delivers greater value, with more resources available for medicines, equipment and frontline services.
The government also reaffirmed the importance of accountability and collaboration with civil society organisations and relevant anti-corruption institutions to strengthen oversight of healthcare spending.
A Commendable Investment That Must Deliver Results
The approval represents an important intervention in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots, where primary healthcare facilities serve as the first point of contact for millions of citizens.
However, the success of the investment will ultimately depend on effective implementation, timely disbursement, transparent expenditure and measurable improvements in the quality of care available to Nigerians.
State and local governments also have a responsibility to complement federal funding with adequate investments in health infrastructure, personnel, essential medicines and other critical services.
As Pate emphasised, the Federal Government’s contribution should not be treated as the limit of public investment in healthcare. Subnational governments must also increase spending to meet the needs of their populations.
The expansion to more than 13,000 facilities therefore presents an opportunity to improve access to essential services, but it also calls for rigorous monitoring to ensure that the additional resources reach their intended beneficiaries.
For communities that continue to struggle with inadequate medical facilities, shortages of health workers and limited access to essential medicines, the true value of the approval will be measured by tangible improvements in service delivery.
The Analyst Online Media commends the Federal Government’s continued commitment to strengthening primary healthcare financing and expanding access to essential services.
The priority now must be to translate the approved funding into functional facilities, adequately staffed health centres, accessible medicines and better healthcare outcomes for Nigerians.
Ultimately, strengthening primary healthcare is not merely a budgetary objective; it is a direct investment in the lives, dignity and wellbeing of the Nigerian people.
Tags
HEALTH | NIGERIA