The Federal Government has disbursed over ₦192bn to boost Nigeria’s primary healthcare facilities, expanding BHCPF reforms and strengthening accountability.
Federal Government has disclosed that it has disbursed over ₦192 billion to enhance the delivery of primary healthcare services across Nigeria since the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) began disbursements in 2019.
This was made known by Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Aina’s remarks were made against the backdrop of the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue, convened under the theme “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria”, and organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in collaboration with partners.
Dr. Aina noted that although government allocations to health are growing both at the federal and state levels, the system is still under immense pressure.
Rising service delivery costs, unstable foreign exchange rates, and the escalating prices of essential health commodities—such as vaccines, tuberculosis medicines, malaria treatments, and operational programmes—have all combined to erode the value of the increased allocations.
He stressed that out-of-pocket spending by Nigerians continues to dominate healthcare financing, accounting for the bulk of total health expenditure, while the public sector’s share remains at a modest 14 per cent.
This, he explained, not only places heavy financial strain on citizens but also undermines equity in access to quality healthcare.
To tackle these challenges, Aina revealed that the Federal Government has mobilised ₦3.5 billion through a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
According to him, 60 per cent of these funds were sourced from external and domestic financing mechanisms such as the BHCPF, the Global Fund, Gavi, and PEPFAR.
The BHCPF has been instrumental in channeling resources directly to facilities. Presently, 8,309 primary healthcare centres nationwide are beneficiaries of quarterly disbursements.
Under the restructured BHCPF 2.0, allocations have been scaled up from an average of ₦300,000 per facility per quarter to between ₦600,000 and ₦800,000, depending on the facility’s size and patient volume.
This significant upward review, Aina explained, is aimed at covering real operational costs, supporting human resources, providing essential medicines, and maintaining critical infrastructure at the grassroots level.
In a major reform initiative, the Federal Government is preparing to implement a direct funding mechanism nationwide, having already piloted the model in four to five states.
This innovative system will allow payments for commodities and health workers’ salaries to be deposited directly into designated accounts, making the process more transparent and traceable.
“These are the kinds of steps we are taking to ensure that funds get to their targets without leakages,” Aina explained, emphasising that accountability and performance-based measures will remain central to the reforms.
Dr. Aina also raised concerns about the troubling level of unaccounted vaccines in the country.
Government analysis shows that between 15 and 25 per cent of non-campaign vaccines cannot be traced, pointing to possible wastage, faulty population estimates, procurement inefficiencies, or weaknesses in vaccine management systems.
Even more concerning, he noted, is that some states reported vaccine consumption rates up to four times higher than their recorded coverage data.
While border states may legitimately serve non-Nigerians, the scale of discrepancies suggests serious underlying accountability issues.
As a corrective measure, the Federal Government has directed states to investigate at the local government level and identify the root causes of wastage, leakages, or inaccurate forecasting.
Despite these challenges, the government has made significant progress in cost-saving measures.
Through improved efficiency, the Federal Government has successfully reduced its projected five-year vaccine procurement costs from $1.5 billion to $1 billion, freeing up resources for reinvestment in other health priorities.
“This demonstrates our determination to make smarter use of limited resources while ensuring that Nigerians continue to access life-saving vaccines and essential health services,” Aina stated.
Ultimately, Dr. Aina reaffirmed that the Federal Government remains committed to building a more equitable, accountable, and sustainable health financing system.
He stressed that reforms like BHCPF 2.0, the direct funding mechanism, and accountability drives in vaccine utilisation represent concrete steps toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all Nigerians.
“Even though the challenges are immense, government is working tirelessly with partners, states, and local governments to close financing gaps and guarantee that no Nigerian is left behind in accessing quality healthcare,” he concluded.
