The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of ₦32.9 billion for the fourth quarter of 2025 through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen and expand access to quality primary healthcare services across the country.

The funds, which will be disbursed in January 2026 in line with the BHCPF 2.0 Guidelines, are aimed at supporting the delivery of essential primary healthcare services nationwide.

In addition, the government approved the establishment of a Citizens’ Response Centre (CRC) to enhance accountability, transparency, and citizen engagement in the health sector.

The approvals were announced at the 13th Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting on the BHCPF, chaired by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle Salako; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Daju Kachollom; state commissioners for health led by their chairman and Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani; heads of health agencies; and other stakeholders.

At the meeting, the government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health system, expanding equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare, and advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through sustained reforms, accountability mechanisms, and partnership-driven implementation of the BHCPF.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary explained that commencing the disbursement in January 2026 would ensure proper deployment of funds and allow health facilities to receive support in a more predictable manner.

She said the approach was designed to reduce disruptions in funding flows that often undermine service delivery at the primary healthcare level.

“This will be done in January so that the process is safely completed and so that we can support patients on a more regular basis,” she said.

Kachollom disclosed that after the proposed release, the fund would still retain a balance of about ₦21 billion, which could be deployed to address pressing needs while the system transitions towards monthly allocations.

She added that health sector reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration are already yielding results, noting that future generations would remember the administration for fundamentally transforming Nigeria’s health system.

“Health is intangible; they are not things you can touch, but you can feel them. These reforms are being driven by a coordinated leadership structure involving the Coordinating Minister of Health, the Minister of State, agency heads, and directors, all working under a compact framework signed in 2023 and reinforced in subsequent agreements,” she said.

Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, said deliberations showed consistent improvements in service utilisation nationwide, including increased attendance at primary health centres, rising immunisation coverage, and higher uptake of essential services.

He said the fourth-quarter disbursement marked progress toward stabilising and regularising state-level funding, adding that a major shift approved at the meeting was the first implementation of the BHCPF 2.0 guidelines.

Under the new framework, Aina explained, funding will be allocated based on facility workload, with low-volume facilities receiving ₦600,000 per quarter and high-volume facilities receiving ₦800,000, unlike the previous uniform allocation system.

He said the new approach ensures that resources are deployed based on patient demand, enabling facilities to better meet the needs of the people they serve and reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Aina noted that despite progress, the pace of change remains a concern, adding that in 2026 the agency will prioritise accelerating access to primary healthcare revitalisation, immunisation, maternal and child health, nutrition, and reproductive health services.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, disclosed that enrolment under the national health insurance system has continued to grow, rising from about 20 million people in June to 21 million at the time of the latest review.

He said the BHCPF process has strengthened transparency by clearly publishing how funds from the one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund are transferred to states and local governments, allowing Nigerians to track resource flows.

Ohiri added that the oversight process has become a tool for self-assessment and course correction as the sector prepares for increased expectations in the coming year.
At the meeting, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) was formally admitted as a member of the Ministerial Oversight Committee, strengthening local government participation and ownership in BHCPF implementation.

The meeting also noted that civil society organisations remain active members of the MOC, while the newly approved Citizens’ Response Centre will provide Nigerians with a platform to make enquiries, lodge complaints, and offer feedback on health services, including BHCPF-supported interventions.