By Mercy Adi
The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of over N32bn under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to strengthen primary healthcare centres across the country.
The approval was granted at the 14th meeting and first quarter 2026 session of the Ministerial Oversight Committee of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund held on March 24, 2026, in Abuja.
The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund is a key financing mechanism of the Federal Government aimed at ensuring predictable funding, reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and improving access to quality services, particularly for vulnerable populations.
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At the meeting, gateway agencies, including the National Health Insurance Authority, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, presented updates on implementation progress.
Representatives of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and Civil Society Organisations also provided field-level insights, highlighting improvements in service delivery, public health response, and financial protection for citizens.
The committee also focused on the accelerated rollout of the BHCPF 2.0 under the Sector-Wide Approach, which aligns financing, service delivery, and accountability to improve health outcomes nationwide in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
Key interventions reviewed included the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Initiative, HOPE Primary Healthcare programme, and the National Health Fellows Programme aimed at strengthening leadership and accountability within the health sector.
Progress on the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, alongside maternal and child health indicators, was also assessed to enhance emergency response and lifesaving care.
Speaking at the meeting, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the initiative was designed to ensure improved healthcare outcomes.
He said, “Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are deliberately aligning financing with outcomes. BHCPF 2.0 ensures that resources translate into real improvements in service delivery, particularly at the primary healthcare level where most Nigerians access care.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the intervention would deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
“This is about outcomes Nigerians can see and feel — safer deliveries, improved emergency response, and functional primary healthcare centres,” he said.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Pate expressed optimism about progress recorded in the health sector, noting improvements in utilisation, maternal health, and immunisation.
“What we have seen is a continuation of progress across multiple dimensions of primary healthcare, in terms of utilisation, maternal mortality, and immunisation. The resources being disbursed are reaching facilities,” he said.
He added that the government plans to expand the number of facilities benefiting from direct funding by 5,000.
Pate further disclosed that over 40,000 women had benefited from free emergency obstetric services, while more than 4,000 women had accessed treatment under the government’s free fistula programme.
He also noted that more than 102 million children were immunised during a nationwide measles and rubella campaign, while over 200 disease outbreak episodes were recorded and contained early within the past year.