By Mercy Gadia
The Federal Government on Friday defended its ongoing health sector reforms, stating that over 37,000 health workers have been recruited since 2023, alongside significant investments aimed at improving service delivery and access to care across the country.
The government also disclosed that more than 80 million patient visits had been recorded under the revamped Basic Health Care Provision Fund, as part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
In a press statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on July 3, 2026, the government acknowledged persistent challenges in the sector, including workforce shortages, infrastructure gaps, financing constraints, and the migration of skilled professionals.
It, however, insisted that these challenges were the driving force behind ongoing reforms.
The statement read, “Recent public commentary on Nigeria’s health sector has raised important concerns about health workforce shortages, infrastructure, healthcare financing, the migration of skilled professionals and access to quality care. These are real challenges.
“They are also the very reasons the Federal Government is implementing far-reaching reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s health system.”
According to the ministry, over 70,000 frontline health workers have also been trained to improve service delivery nationwide.
To address the growing trend of medical personnel leaving the country, the government said it had approved the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration.
It noted that the policy was designed to “improve workforce planning, strengthen retention and promote ethical recruitment,” supported by the National Health Workforce Registry and ongoing investments in specialist training.
The statement further highlighted reforms at the primary healthcare level, noting that the revised Basic Health Care Provision Fund had been expanded to cover more facilities.
It said, “Government has approved ₦32.9 billion under the revised framework, supporting more than 8,300 Primary Health Care Centres, with expansion underway to approximately 13,000 facilities nationwide.”
The ministry added that more than 21 million vulnerable Nigerians had accessed healthcare services through the Vulnerable Groups Health Insurance Fund.
On disease control, the government said surveillance and outbreak preparedness had been strengthened through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Gateway of the BHCPF.
Addressing concerns about the cost and availability of medicines, the ministry disclosed that efforts were underway to boost local pharmaceutical production through the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain.
“The objective is simple: strengthen local production, improve medicine security and make essential medicines more available and affordable for Nigerians,” the statement said.
It added that the reforms also covered investments in health infrastructure, maternal and newborn care, emergency preparedness, digital health systems, and accountability mechanisms.
The ministry revealed that as of the 2025 Joint Annual Review, 84 per cent of key performance indicators under the Presidential Health Sector Renewal Compact had been achieved.
While acknowledging that challenges persist, the government stressed that progress should be measured by tangible outcomes.
“Nigeria’s health sector still faces significant challenges, and Government has never suggested otherwise. Lasting reform, however, is measured not by rhetoric but by sustained action, transparent implementation and measurable results,” the statement added.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, civil society organisations, development partners, and the private sector, to build a more resilient and equitable healthcare system.
“Our mandate remains clear: to save lives, reduce both physical and financial pain, and improve the health and wellbeing of all Nigerians,” it stated.