The Federal Government has begun an overhaul of the community-based health workers programme as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s Primary Health Care (PHC) system and ensure wider access to basic health services, especially for hard-to-reach communities.

The approach aims to provide a structured, professional, and well-supported workforce that connects underserved Nigerians to life-saving health interventions.

Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina, disclosed this during the National Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Re-designed Community-Based Health Workers Programme held in Abuja.

Aina said over 1,000 primary health centres nationwide are being revitalised, while the community-based health worker programme are also being redesigned to bridge the gap between the health centres and bring the programme to the doorstep of the pregnant women, elderly or children in remote areas.

“Previously, many of the community health workers operated on fragmented, volunteer-based programmes and were often paid stipends by state or local authorities. Under the new plan, the Federal Government in collaboration with states and local governments will engage these workers as salaried civil servants, provide them with proper training, and ensure a clear career path within the health system”.

He stated that the health workers must have the tools and commodities they need and should be able to carry out malaria tests, assess children’s vaccination needs, and make referrals.Aina observed that this is part of the push for an integrated and dignified health care workforce.

The NPHCDA boss said that the primary health centre is the frontline health facility that people receive care, one of the commitments of President Bola Tinubu to Nigerians is the guarantee for every Nigerian to live, and access high-quality basic health care.”

Aina said, “We are doing reforms in the primary health care system, including revitalising the PHCs. Right now, we have revitalised to full functionality over 1,000 centres. There are also the community-based health workers that go from door-to-door in remote areas or may be hard to reach or people who don’t have the wherewithal to get to the facilities.

“Many of these community-based health workers were volunteers who were being paid stipends, either by the local government or by the states or partners. They were working on specific programmes that were not at scale. We want community-based health workers who are salaried and engaged in dignified careers within the primary health care system.”

Chairman of the Commissioners of Health Forum, Dr Oyebanji Filani, described the reform as a national strategy aimed at expanding access to high-impact, life-saving services through collaboration across all levels of government.

“We are working with NPHCDA, ALGON, and other partners to ensure the programme is flexible enough to suit local contexts, while staying focused on its core goals,” he said.

The redesigned programme will involve identifying existing health workers, recruiting new ones, and placing them in communities where they can drive health promotion, manage community-based care, and ensure timely referrals to facilities, especially for pregnant women who need skilled delivery.