The Federal Government has approved ₦40.76 billion for the third-quarter disbursement of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), raising funding from the previous quarter’s ₦32.88 billion allocation by approximately ₦7.88 billion.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the approval in Abuja on Wednesday after the 16th meeting of the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) on the fund.
He said the increased allocation reflects the government’s commitment to improving access to affordable and quality healthcare, particularly for poor households, vulnerable citizens and underserved communities.
The initiative forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which aim to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
NHIA and Primary Healthcare Agency Receive Largest Shares
The approved third-quarter allocation stands at exactly ₦40,758,116,943.50 and will be distributed among four designated funding gateways according to their statutory allocations.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) will receive ₦19.87 billion, representing 48.75 per cent of the total. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) will receive ₦18.34 billion, equivalent to 45 per cent.
Emergency Medical Treatment has been allocated ₦2.04 billion, representing five per cent, while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) will receive ₦509.48 million, accounting for 1.25 per cent.
Pate disclosed that statutory monthly inflows into the fund had increased from approximately ₦8.95 billion to ₦13.08 billion before rising further to ₦20.43 billion.
However, he stressed that increased funding must produce tangible results through timely disbursements, transparent financial management and measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.
Government Extends Health Insurance to 90,000 Prison Inmates
In a significant expansion of health insurance access, the committee approved a plan to provide coverage to approximately 90,000 inmates in correctional facilities across Nigeria.
The decision followed a request from the Nigerian Correctional Service and will be implemented through the NHIA.
According to the government, the initiative will be subject to regular reporting and safeguards designed to ensure proper implementation. Inmates who already receive coverage through state health insurance schemes will be excluded to prevent duplication.
The move is intended to improve access to healthcare for people in correctional facilities, an often underserved population that may face barriers to obtaining medical treatment.
New Procurement System Targets Medicine Supply Challenges
The committee has also approved measures to improve the procurement and distribution of essential medicines and other healthcare commodities through the NPHCDA funding gateway.
The changes will allow pooled procurement through MEDIPOOL, Nigeria’s national Group Purchasing Organisation, with the aim of improving purchasing efficiency and strengthening the supply of medical products to primary healthcare facilities.
The arrangement will include pricing benchmarks, value-for-money safeguards and supply-chain monitoring.
These measures are intended to improve transparency, ensure quality assurance and make the supply of essential medicines more reliable across the country’s primary healthcare system.
BHCPF Support to Expand to 13,521 Health Facilities
The Federal Government plans to increase the number of primary healthcare facilities receiving support through the fund from 8,309 to 13,521 nationwide.
The expansion will bring an additional 5,212 facilities into the programme across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The committee also considered a phased financing arrangement to help states recruit Skilled Birth Attendants and Community-Based Health Workers, with the eventual goal of progressively absorbing these workers into state health systems.
The proposed approach is intended to strengthen frontline healthcare delivery, improve maternal and child health services and increase the availability of health workers in local communities.
Committee Moves to Investigate Delays in Healthcare Funding
Despite the increased allocation, the government is also addressing concerns about delays in transferring funds to the facilities that need them.
The Ministerial Oversight Committee resolved to establish a subcommittee to investigate bottlenecks affecting the movement of money through the fund’s gateways, state governments and local government areas before it reaches healthcare facilities.
The subcommittee is expected to submit its findings within six weeks.
The committee also directed that letters be sent to state governors outlining the financial requirements needed to enable the NCDC to respond effectively to disease outbreaks.
The intervention is aimed at identifying administrative and financial obstacles that could prevent approved resources from translating into improved services for patients.
ICPC Partnership to Strengthen Financial Accountability
The Federal Government is working with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor health sector funding and reduce the risk of funds being misused.
Pate said public resources allocated to healthcare must reach their intended beneficiaries and warned against any conduct that could deprive Nigerians of essential medical services.
“Government will not condone any act that is capable of depriving ordinary Nigerians of the health goods these funds are meant for,” he said.
The minister’s remarks underscore the government’s emphasis on financial accountability alongside increased spending, particularly as the fund expands its reach to more healthcare facilities and vulnerable populations.
States Urged to Meet Their Health Funding Obligations
Pate also commended the Katsina State Governor for releasing ₦243 million to the State Health Insurance Agency to support the expansion of BHCPF coverage.
He called on other state governments and the Federal Capital Territory to meet their counterpart funding obligations under the National Health Act, 2014.
The appeal reflects the importance of cooperation between federal and subnational authorities in sustaining primary healthcare services and ensuring that available resources are used effectively.
FG Says Healthcare Investment Must Deliver Measurable Results
The latest approval represents another step in the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare financing and broaden access to essential medical services.
However, the committee’s decisions also place emphasis on addressing funding delays, improving medicine procurement, extending insurance coverage and strengthening oversight of public expenditure.
The government said its objective is to ensure that increased investment delivers practical improvements in the lives of Nigerians, especially poor and vulnerable citizens who depend most heavily on public healthcare services.
The announcement was made by Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations.
