The federal government has approved N32.880 billion under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to enhance healthcare delivery.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the Ministerial Oversight Committee for BHCPF, during its 10th quarterly meeting to deliberate on the progress of BHCPF implementation.
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Mr Pate underscored the government’s commitment to expanding healthcare access and affordability, particularly at the grassroots level.
“This meeting is a continuation of efforts to improve the governance of the health sector and expand affordability, emergency medical treatment, ambulance services, and health security through the various BHCPF gateways,” he said.
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He said the funds would be disbursed to states, local governments and 10,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) nationwide through the BHCPF’s four gateways.
The minister reaffirmed the importance of accountability, stating that disbursement details will be publicly available on the BHCPF website to ensure transparency.
To strengthen oversight, he said that the government had activated independent verification agents and public financial monitoring offices to track resource utilisation.
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According to Mr Pate, 744 local healthcare workers have been engaged to help monitor fund allocation and service delivery.
He said that the funds would not only provide commodities and health workers, but also ensure financial sustainability for PHCs.
He said that the meeting also reviewed updated BHCPF guidelines to enhance governance structures and streamline fund allocation.
“The goal is to maximise these resources to improve child health and advance President Bola Tinubu’s vision for the health sector,” he said.
“The emergency response gateway has played a crucial role in saving lives, particularly in cases of road traffic accidents and maternal emergencies.”
He stressed the need to raise awareness about available healthcare services and funding transparency, urging the media and civil society organisations (CSOs) to help disseminate information.
Healthcare delivery
The minister said the BHCPF governance reforms align with the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to ensure effective collaboration between federal, state, and local governments in healthcare delivery.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding healthcare coverage and ensuring that funds directly benefit communities.
“This is not just a plan; it is work already being done in collaboration with all levels of government, to improve healthcare for Nigerians,” he said.
The Board Chairperson, National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), Jubril Ismail, said the system had played a crucial role saving lives in emergencies, and other critical situations.
Mr Ismail said the nation had made significant strides in emergency response, with strong support in recent months ensuring effective service delivery.
WHO’s Country Representative, Walter Kazadi, said that the decision to maintain a 10 per cent national and 15 per cent sub-national disbursement factor is to prevent service disruptions until local government autonomy takes effect.
“A task team is overseeing this process, with ongoing consultations on improving financial mechanisms,” he said.
“There is a need for stronger financial governance, improved coordination, and increased funding for Nigeria’s health sector.”
He said key stakeholders, including WHO, government agencies, state governments, and international partners must work together to ensure efficient resource allocation, service delivery, and long-term sustainability.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that BHCPF is a Nigerian government mechanism designed to sustainably finance and strengthen primary healthcare services. It supports improvements in service delivery, accountability, and emergency care.
The BHCPF disburses funds through four main gateways; State-Level Gateway, Local Government Gateway, Primary Health Care Centre Gateway and Emergency and Specialised Services Gateway.
(NAN)
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