The Senate has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will sign the National Health Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to increase the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from 1% to 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), Ipalibo Harry Banigo, gave the assurance in Abuja after a meeting with health sector stakeholders who applauded the passage of the bill.
The proposed amendment aims to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and improve access to essential health services, particularly for women, children, and underserved communities.
Banigo explained that the current 1% allocation under the 2014 National Health Act is no longer sufficient, given Nigeria’s growing population and rising burden of preventable diseases.
She noted that increasing the fund to 2% would significantly boost financing for primary healthcare centres, immunisation programmes, disease control, and emergency medical response systems.
Stakeholders, including health advocacy groups and development partners, described the bill as a major step toward sustainable healthcare financing and universal health coverage.
They expressed optimism that the House of Representatives would concur quickly, after which the bill would be transmitted to the President for assent.
Health advocates also praised the initiative, saying it would strengthen frontline health services and improve access to care for millions of Nigerians.
