The Federal Government has disbursed N32 billion through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to support over 8,000 primary healthcare facilities across Nigeria in the first half of 2025.
The announcement was made during the 11th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting on the BHCPF, held in Abuja. The meeting brought together key stakeholders to review the fund’s progress and align on strategies to improve access to quality healthcare at the grassroots.
Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, noted that more than 37 million facility visits have been supported through the BHCPF — a milestone in Nigeria’s push toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“This achievement reflects our collective efforts across federal, state, and local levels, civil society, development partners, and the private sector,” Pate said. “It is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the broader Renewed Hope Agenda.”
Pate also pointed to recent fiscal reforms — including executive orders to boost local healthcare manufacturing and the newly signed tax reform bill — as laying the groundwork for financial sustainability in the health sector and reducing dependence on foreign aid.
He expressed concern over the treatment gap for about 50,000 Nigerians who tested positive for tuberculosis but are yet to receive care. According to him, the 2025 national budget includes provisions to address this challenge, supported by improved diagnostic capacity that has earned Nigeria international recognition.
Local governments, he added, are now fully integrated into the national health compact and are working with state health ministries and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to expand grassroots healthcare delivery.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, underscored the importance of MOC’s governance in aligning stakeholder efforts and strengthening BHCPF implementation. He noted that civil society engagement and improved coordination among agencies are yielding visible results.
Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Ekiti State Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the Health Commissioners’ Forum, commended the Federal Government’s commitment and highlighted the positive outcomes from recent inter-state collaboration. He said efforts are focused on ensuring that the supported facilities offer quality services and essential health commodities.
The meeting, chaired by Prof. Pate, featured updates on progress made through the BHCPF gateways, and explored innovations and reforms under the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to further enhance the fund’s national impact.
