The federal government has approved the disbursement of ₦32.9 Billion to Primary Healthcare Centres for the second quarter of 2026 under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF ) to boost healthcare delivery across the country.

The announcement was made during the 15th  Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting held on Friday in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate .

Meanwhile, about N339 billion has been disbursed to states under the BHCPF on the last 12 years .

Minster of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate who disclosed this at the meeting, stated that out of the N339 Billion, about N235 billion were disbursed only in the last three years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration adding that this shows the intensification of the effort to expand and fund primary health care under this administration.

Pate noted that  with those resources, more than 8,000 of PHCs across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been receiving resources on a quarterly basis for primary health care through National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA ) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ( NCDC) gateways as well as the  Emergency Medical Services.
The minister stated that the government has we seen continued progress in terms of utilization of health care services, expansion of emergency medical treatment, and resource utilisation.

He said , “Thirty-five states already have their own structures, while two states, Benue and Imo, do not have their own set structures but are reliant on federal institutions in their states. Through that programme, more than 130,000 patients have been attended to using the emergency medical services provided by the basic health care provision fund The NCDC has been using its gateway to provide support to states in outbreak control, trying to assess, detect, enhance surveillance, and help states to be ready to respond for cholera, lassa fever, and other diseases like cerebral syndrome and meningitis and even now, with the Ebola virus disease that is in the Africa region, even though it is not in Nigeria”.

” The Ministry of Health used resources from BHCPF to approve a disbursement to all the 36 states to enhance their preparedness against against Ebola. This is complimentary. to the great decision of Mr. President to set up a presidential task force to enhance  preparedness”.

 The Minister observed the the NPHCDA has confirmed the more than 3,000 primary health care facilities that have been revitalized to level 2 and almost a thousand that are in various stages.

Pate reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening health sector governance, deepening accountability across implementing institutions, improving coordination among stakeholders, and accelerating implementation of ongoing health sector reforms under the national agenda toward achieving Universal Health Coverage.

The meeting which brought together key stakeholders across government institutions and implementing gateways, including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee (NEMTC), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), alongside development partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank (WB), as well as Chairpersons of State implementing agencies, deliberated on progress updates, operational challenges, financing priorities, and strategic actions necessary to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.

 The Committee approved modalities to commence inclusion of private sector actors within the Ministerial Oversight Committee framework to strengthen broader stakeholder participation in health sector governance.

It directed the MOC Secretariat to issue formal communication to all 36 States to reiterate responsibilities relating to counterpart funding obligations and equity fund commitments.

The Committee received presentations and implementation updates from BHCPF gateways, SWAp Technical Working Groups, national priority programmes, and key stakeholders highlighting progress made across service delivery, programme implementation, healthcare financing, and system strengthening interventions.   

Discussions emphasized the need to strengthen accountability mechanisms, improve financing sustainability, address operational gaps identified across implementation structures, and improve coordination among key institutions.

However, contributions from development partners and programme stakeholders reinforced the importance of stronger alignment under SWAp implementation, evidence-based decision-making, improved resource utilization, and collaborative approaches toward accelerating health sector reform implementation.

Deliberations also focused on strengthening emergency preparedness systems and reviewing existing molecular diagnostic laboratories and isolation centres to improve national public health response capacity.
Government Commitment.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare remains committed to ensuring efficient utilization of public health resources and delivering equitable, affordable, and quality healthcare services for all Nigerians.

As Nigeria continues implementation of ongoing reforms under the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) framework, the 15th Ministerial Oversight Committee Meeting served as a critical platform to review programme implementation progress, strengthen accountability systems, enhance coordination across implementing institutions, and drive strategic decisions aimed at improving healthcare delivery nationwide.

Building on deliberations and action points from the 14th MOC Meeting (Q1 2026), the meeting focused on tracking progress made on previous resolutions, reviewing updates from BHCPF gateways, national health programmes, government and donor-funded initiatives, and advancing key discussions on financing, service delivery, and overall health sector reform implementation.

The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), established under the National Health Act (2014), is a flagship health financing mechanism of the Government of Nigeria designed to ensure sustainable funding for primary healthcare services and guarantee access to quality essential health services for all Nigerians, particularly poor and vulnerable populations. The Fund remains a critical instrument for strengthening health systems and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.