The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of ₦32.9 billion under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen and expand access to quality primary healthcare services across Nigeria.
The approval, which covers the fourth quarter of 2025, was 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 funds will be disbursed in January 2026 in line with the new BHCPF 2.0 Guidelines.
According to the government, the funding was aimed at supporting the delivery of essential primary healthcare services nationwide while ensuring more predictable and efficient deployment of resources to health facilities.
Also approved at the meeting was the establishment of a Citizens’ Response Centre (CRC) to strengthen accountability, transparency and citizen engagement in the health sector.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Daju Kachollom, said commencing disbursement in January 2026 would minimise disruptions in funding flows that often undermine service delivery at the primary healthcare level.
She disclosed that after the release of the ₦32.9bn, the BHCPF would retain a balance of about ₦21bn to address pressing needs as the system transitions to monthly allocations.
The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, said the disbursement marked a significant step towards stabilising state-level funding and the first full implementation of the BHCPF 2.0 guidelines.
Under the new framework, funding will now be allocated based on facility workload, with low-volume facilities receiving ₦600,000 per quarter and high-volume facilities receiving ₦800,000, replacing the previous uniform allocation system.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, said enrolment under the national health insurance scheme has increased from about 20 million in June to 21 million, noting that improved transparency in fund transfers has enhanced public trust.
The meeting also approved the formal admission of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) into the Ministerial Oversight Committee, to deepen local government participation in BHCPF implementation.
Civil society organisations were reaffirmed as active members of the MOC, while the newly approved Citizens’ Response Centre is expected to provide Nigerians with a platform to make enquiries, lodge complaints and give feedback on healthcare services nationwide.
