Nigeria Emerges Africa's 4th Best Health System as FG Approves ₦32.88bn for Primary Healthcare

"Nigeria's health insurance coverage has expanded significantly, rising from 16 million to 22 million enrollees within the last three years, while the country's overall health system performance now ranks fourth on the African continent." Pate

.... Says "the Federal Government has disbursed ₦339 billion through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund since its establishment 12 years ago, with ₦235 billion released within the last three years alone, reflecting increased investment in the country's healthcare system."

Nigeria's health sector has recorded another major milestone, with the Federal Government announcing that the country now ranks fourth in Africa in health system performance, alongside the approval of ₦32.88 billion for the second-quarter 2026 Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen primary healthcare services nationwide.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists after the 15th Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting in Abuja.

Pate said the approved ₦32.88 billion would support primary healthcare delivery, strengthen emergency response systems and consolidate reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).

He explained that the quarterly meeting, which he co-chaled with the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, reviewed implementation progress, addressed operational challenges and outlined strategies for accelerating ongoing reforms in the health sector.

The minister revealed that Nigeria's health insurance coverage has expanded significantly, rising from 16 million to 22 million enrollees within the last three years, while the country's overall health system performance now ranks fourth on the African continent.

According to him, the Federal Government has disbursed ₦339 billion through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund since its establishment 12 years ago, with ₦235 billion released within the last three years alone, reflecting increased investment in the country's healthcare system.

He noted that more than 8,000 primary healthcare centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory currently receive quarterly funding under the programme, supporting essential healthcare services, health insurance for vulnerable citizens, disease control and emergency medical interventions.

Pate added that over 130,000 Nigerians have benefited from emergency medical services financed through the BHCPF, while functional emergency response systems have been established in 35 states.

On disease preparedness, the minister said the Federal Government recently approved emergency funding for all 36 states to strengthen readiness against Ebola Virus Disease despite the absence of any confirmed case in Nigeria.

He explained that the intervention, being coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), is designed to improve surveillance, early detection and rapid response capacity across the country.

Giving an update on health infrastructure, Pate disclosed that more than 3,000 primary healthcare facilities have been upgraded, while close to 1,000 others are currently undergoing revitalisation.

He also announced plans to increase the number of health facilities benefiting from direct funding from 8,000 to 17,600 using an equity-based allocation formula that considers population size and disease burden.

The minister said preliminary findings from the 2026 mini Demographic and Health Survey indicate improvements in antenatal care attendance, skilled birth deliveries, immunisation coverage and contraceptive uptake.

He further disclosed that over 48,000 women have received free emergency obstetric services, while 4,771 women have undergone life-changing fistula repair surgeries under government-supported interventions.

Despite the achievements, Pate stressed that sustaining the gains would require stronger commitment from state and local governments.

He urged states to fulfil their counterpart funding obligations of 25 per cent, while local governments contribute 15 per cent, noting that compliance could increase available healthcare resources by about 40 per cent.

The minister also called on sub-national governments to strengthen staffing in primary healthcare facilities and improve the utilisation of frontline health workers.

The Ministerial Oversight Committee further approved the inclusion of private sector representatives in its governance framework to deepen stakeholder participation, while directing its secretariat to enforce compliance with funding commitments by states.

Pate reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to strengthening accountability, improving coordination and ensuring efficient utilisation of resources to achieve Universal Health Coverage across Nigeria.

Established under the National Health Act of 2014, the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund remains the country's flagship financing mechanism for expanding access to quality primary healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations.