Nigeria’s health sector has recorded another major milestone, with the Federal Government announcing that the country now ranks fourth in Africa for health system performance while approving the disbursement of ₦32.88 billion under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.
The announcement was made by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, after the 15th Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting held in Abuja.
The approved ₦32.88 billion, representing the second-quarter 2026 BHCPF disbursement, will support primary healthcare services, emergency medical response, disease surveillance, and ongoing reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Professor Pate said the committee reviewed implementation progress, assessed operational challenges, and outlined new strategies to sustain improvements across the country’s healthcare system.
He revealed that more than ₦339 billion has been disbursed through the BHCPF over the last 12 years, with ₦235 billion released within the past three years alone, reflecting increased investment in Nigeria’s health sector.
According to the minister, over 8,000 primary healthcare centres across the country now receive quarterly funding, helping to expand essential health services, improve disease control, strengthen emergency response systems, and extend health insurance coverage to vulnerable Nigerians.
He disclosed that more than 130,000 Nigerians have benefited from emergency medical services funded through the BHCPF, while 35 states have established functional emergency response systems.
On disease preparedness, Pate said the Federal Government recently approved emergency funding for all 36 states to strengthen Ebola surveillance and response capabilities, despite Nigeria recording no confirmed case of the disease.
He also announced that over 3,000 primary healthcare facilities have been upgraded, with nearly 1,000 additional centres currently undergoing renovation. The government plans to expand direct funding from 8,000 to 17,600 health facilities using an equity-based allocation model.
The minister further highlighted improvements in maternal and child healthcare, revealing that health insurance coverage has increased from 16 million to 22 million Nigerians in the last three years. He added that more than 48,000 women have received free emergency obstetric care, while 4,771 women have undergone life-changing fistula repair surgeries.
Despite the progress, Pate urged state and local governments to fulfil their counterpart funding obligations, noting that greater compliance could increase healthcare financing by up to 40 percent.
He also called on states to recruit more health workers, improve staffing at primary healthcare centres, and strengthen frontline service delivery.
The committee further approved the inclusion of private sector representatives in its governance framework to deepen collaboration and accelerate Nigeria’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage.
