The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has revealed that 2,125 primary health centres (PHCs) have now been fully revitalised across the country as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen frontline health services.
The Executive Director of the agency, Muyi Aina, disclosed on Tuesday during the NPHCDA’s quarterly media briefing in Abuja, noting that another 1,671 facilities are at various stages of completion.
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Mr Aina said these efforts are in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to ensure at least one functional, fully equipped PHC in each of the country’s 17,600 political wards.
He also announced an expansion of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to support over 5,000 additional facilities.
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“To cushion the impact of inflation, low-volume PHCs will now receive N600,000 per quarter, while high-volume centres will get N800,000,” he said, adding that funds for 31 states have already been approved for disbursement.
Immunisation progress
Concerning immunisation, Mr Aina reported that the Identify, Enumerate and Vaccinate (IEV) strategy has documented 7.4 million children, with over 3.4 million vaccinated to date.
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The IEV strategy is a targeted, house-to-house approach, mainly in Nigeria, to find and immunise “zero-dose” children.
He further expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for approving N68 billion for Nigeria’s vaccine co-financing with Gavi, noting that the move prevented a major national vaccine stock-out.
Mr Aina said the agency has also deployed several digital tools to improve service delivery, including a national PHC dashboard and online training platforms for health workers.
According to him, visits to PHCs have increased from 39 million to 47 million per quarter, reflecting growing public confidence.
Push to reduce maternal, child deaths
Mr Aina said the federal government is intensifying coordinated efforts to significantly reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality, in line with the president’s directive to prioritise investments in these areas.
He referenced the 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics Report, which shows that the country recorded an estimated 20,811 maternal, neonatal, and under-five deaths between January and September 2025.
While acknowledging that the figures remain high, he said the administration is committed to reversing the trend through direct funding to PHC facilities, improved availability of essential commodities, and recruitment of more community health workers.
He noted that community health workers are now being deployed to identify pregnant women at home and link them to health centres to ensure timely access to skilled care.
Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative
In her remarks, the Director of Community Health Services, Nana Abubakar, highlighted progress under the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), launched in 2024.
Mrs Abubakar said the initiative is being implemented across 172 Local Government Areas in 33 states, which account for more than 50 per cent of current maternal deaths.
She described MAMII as a comprehensive, multifaceted programme designed to address the delays that contribute to maternal and newborn deaths.
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She noted that governance and accountability are jointly anchored by the NPHCDA, the National Health Insurance Authority, the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Services, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in partnership with development agencies.
“For MAMII, working together with every stakeholder is essential so that no woman dies while giving birth, and no child should be lost to preventable causes,” she said.
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