The Nigerian government says it has disbursed ₦249.6 billion from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen primary healthcare delivery, expand health insurance coverage and improve access to essential medical services for vulnerable Nigerians.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja while presenting an account of the fund’s implementation, achievements and challenges under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Salako said the disbursement represented 77.1 per cent of the ₦323.6 billion released under the fund between its inception in 2019 and September 2026. He added that the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) had approved an additional ₦40.7 billion in October 2026 to support healthcare delivery across the country.
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He said the increased funding reflected the administration’s commitment to improving access to essential health services under the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
“The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund was established under the National Health Act 2014; it 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 healthcare,” Salako said.
The minister explained that the government had introduced BHCPF Guideline 2.0 to strengthen transparency, accountability and the effective use of public resources, with emphasis on direct financing of health facilities, performance-based disbursements and improved financial tracking.
“The test is not whether a release appears in a ledger, but whether the intended facility received the funds and the patient obtained the service,” he said.
On health insurance, Salako said enrolment had increased from approximately 16.2 million people in 2023 to 23.06 million by the third quarter of 2026. He added that more than 3.18 million vulnerable Nigerians had been identified for BHCPF-supported health insurance coverage.
He said the fund had also supported free emergency Caesarean sections, treatment and rehabilitation for women living with vesicovaginal fistula, and other interventions benefiting 96,068 women and babies.
On primary healthcare infrastructure, the minister disclosed that 8,309 centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were receiving direct funding, with plans to expand the number to 13,512 and eventually at least 17,600 facilities.
According to him, the number of primary healthcare centres meeting Level 2 readiness requirements increased from 1,748 in 2024 to 3,202 in the third quarter of 2026, while general attendance rose from 34.55 million in 2023 to 43.06 million by the second quarter of 2026.
Salako also said the fund had strengthened emergency medical services, with operational structures established in all states and the FCT. Through rural emergency transport services, 171 of 172 targeted local government areas had been covered, while 168,571 emergency ambulance services had been provided since 2023.
He added that the fund was supporting disease surveillance and outbreak response, including interventions involving Lassa fever, cholera, diphtheria and mpox, to strengthen public health security and improve states’ capacity to respond to emergencies.
On healthcare personnel, Salako said 78,054 frontline health workers had been retrained towards the government’s target of 120,000. He disclosed that the MOC had also approved phased salary support for 13,800 community-based health workers and scheme personnel to encourage states to progressively take over their employment costs.
Salako urged state governments to strengthen their participation in the fund through counterpart financing, improved oversight and sustainable employment arrangements for healthcare workers. He cited Katsina State’s release of ₦240.79 million to its health insurance agency as an example for other states.
“The Nigerian Government cannot achieve a functioning primary healthcare system on behalf of states without their sustained participation,” he said.
He also disclosed that the government was working with the National Assembly to increase the BHCPF’s statutory allocation from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to strengthen domestic financing and expand essential health services.
“Our guiding principle is that the family should not be driven into poverty because a child needs treatment. A pregnant woman should not be denied skilled care because the community lacks a functioning facility,” Salako said.
