• 91 facilities yet to start, abandoned in six states

An assessment by Orodata Science has revealed significant gaps in the condition of 290 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) listed as revitalised, with only 29 per cent meeting the benchmark for revitalisation.

The assessment, conducted in six states in collaboration with Africa Data Hub, found that 91 facilities were not started, stalled or abandoned.

Presenting the findings at a Town Hall Meeting on PHC Revitalisation in Nigeria, Data Analyst at Africa Data Hub, Hannah Naiyeju, said 15 stalled or abandoned projects had no reason stated, while five were abandoned by contractors. Five other facilities had been completed but had never been put into use.

She said visible defects were also found in nearly half of the facilities reported as completed, including structural problems, poor finishes and faulty installations such as solar panels.

The findings showed discrepancies between government records and conditions observed on the ground, including facilities listed as completed but with visible defects, inadequate equipment or other gaps.

The town hall brought together healthcare leaders, government representatives, civil society organisations, journalists and community members to examine PHC data and discuss practical measures to improve healthcare delivery.

Naiyeju said the assessment used field visits, photographs, geocoding, staff and community feedback, digital scorecards and direct observation to document the condition of facilities.

She said the objective was not to suggest that government was not working, but to enable citizens to serve as the “eyes and ears” of the healthcare system and strengthen accountability through evidence.

According to her, the standard for a revitalised facility required it to be functional at Level 2, with a defined package of services, working equipment, adequate power and sufficient staff.

However, field verification showed that some facilities listed as revitalised were either partially functional or non-functional and did not meet the expected standard.

Naiyeju said only 85 of the 290 facilities met the benchmark, while 117 partially met it and 35 did not meet it. She identified equipment and supplies, as well as construction and renovation, as among the weakest areas recorded.

The findings, she said, showed that a facility could be listed as revitalised while still lacking the equipment and supplies needed to provide healthcare services.

Beyond infrastructure and equipment, the assessment raised concerns about emergency care, with only 22 of the 290 facilities found to have a functional ambulance. Naiyeju said funding accountability was another major concern, noting that 53 facilities listed as revitalised had received no intervention, while work had never started at 51 others.

She added that 33 facilities had five or more funders, which could make it difficult to establish accountability for specific interventions.

She called on communities, journalists and oversight institutions to demand the full list of facilities claimed to have been revitalised, alongside contract and payment records and independent verification of completed work.

Country Operations Lead at Orodata Science, John Eromosele, said the findings raised questions about whether funds released for PHC revitalisation were reaching the facilities for which they were intended.

Eromosele, who participated in monitoring some of the field activities, said feedback from the exercise showed that much of the visible work at some PHCs, including painting and equipment provision, had been carried out by state governments.

He urged the government to provide greater clarity on the status of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) resources released for PHC revitalisation. Eromosele also called on government officials, citizens and journalists to scrutinise funds released for PHC interventions and the projects they were intended to support.

He urged officials to publicly clarify the status of funds where releases had been announced but had not reached facilities, stressing that inaccurate information about the functionality of a PHC could have serious consequences for patients seeking emergency care.

Responding to the findings, the Executive Secretary of the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board (OSPHCB), Dr Shina Igbalaye, said it was important to distinguish between facilities supported through the BHCPF and those funded through other sources.

He said Osun had about 800 facilities, of which 332 were supported through the BHCPF, while more than 500 depended on state and local government funding. Igbalaye said revitalisation interventions in the state involved funding from the state government, BHCPF and UNICEF, adding that some facilities remained unequipped because of funding constraints.

He described the BHCPF as an important source of support for PHCs but noted delays in the release of funds. According to him, as of September 2026, the state was only receiving its first-quarter disbursement for the year.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, said Lagos was open to independent assessment of its PHCs, although the state was not among those covered by the exercise.

Mustafa said Lagos had invested significantly in primary healthcare infrastructure, including the renovation, reconstruction and construction of PHCs. He said the state renovated at least 72 PHCs in 2025, adding that Lagos had about 346 PHCs and was continuing to upgrade the remaining facilities.

On the health workforce, Mustafa described human resources as a major challenge across the country but said Lagos had introduced a system that allowed managers to immediately replace health workers who leave the service without waiting for separate approval from the governor.

He said the state employed at least 970 medical staff at the primary healthcare level in 2025, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, environmental officers and community health officers.

According to him, the workers were distributed across the five divisions of the state. Mustafa also said the state had taken steps to increase the production of health professionals through the establishment of the Lagos State University of Medicine, following the passage of the enabling law by the state House of Assembly.

He added that the government was using task-shifting and task-sharing to address workforce shortages and improve healthcare delivery.