The Federal Government has approved the release of ₦32.88 billion under the second quarter of 2026 Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to strengthen primary healthcare services and support wider health sector reforms across Nigeria. The decision was taken at the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting in Abuja, chaired by Coordinating Minister Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate alongside the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare. The funding, tied to ongoing BHCPF funding reforms, aims to sustain progress under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, improve delivery systems, and expand access to care nationwide.
At the meeting, stakeholders also approved plans to bring private sector players into the oversight structure and directed all 36 states to meet their funding obligations. “Today, the Minister of State for Health and I chaired the 15th Ministerial Oversight Committee on the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and other key national health programmes. This quarterly meeting reviewed progress, examined challenges and agreed on decisions on where we go next,” he said. Pate noted that the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund continues to drive reforms in primary healthcare services, describing its impact as central to the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. He added, “This shows the intensification of the effort to expand primary healthcare under this administration,” Pate said.
According to him, ₦339 billion has been released through the fund over 12 years, with ₦235 billion disbursed in the last three years alone. The programme now supports over 8,000 facilities nationwide through emergency medical services, insurance coverage for vulnerable groups, and outbreak response. The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund has also helped manage over 130,000 emergency cases and strengthen disease surveillance through the NCDC.
Pate urged states to meet their counterpart obligations, stressing that full participation could raise available resources by 40 per cent. He said, “We call on all state governments to co-fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. The 25 per cent contribution from states and the 15 per cent from local governments would increase available resources for primary healthcare by an additional 40 per cent on top of what the Federal Government is already providing,” while reaffirming progress in primary healthcare services and the ongoing impact of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
