Nigerian government expands health fund to support primary care centers
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The Nigerian federal government has released N323.6 billion under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as of September 2026.
Dr. Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, provided this update during a briefing in Abuja. The government is currently pushing for an amendment to the BHCPF Act to increase the fund's statutory allocation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund from one percent to two percent.
This move aims to expand direct funding to 17,600 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the country. The Tinubu administration has prioritized the fund, contributing N290.2 billion to the total disbursements. The government increased monthly releases from approximately N8.95 billion in 2021 to N20.43 billion currently. These funds have supported the National Health Insurance Authority, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and emergency medical treatments.
The initiative has also funded free surgeries for vesicovaginal fistula and emergency caesarean sections for over 96,000 women and babies. The program has increased health insurance enrollment to 23.06 million people by the third quarter of 2026. It has also provided coverage for key populations, including people living with HIV and TB, and plans to cover 90,000 inmates in correctional facilities. While direct financing currently supports 8,309 PHCs, the government plans to expand this to 13,512 facilities.
To ensure sustainability, the government will meet 100 percent of salary costs for 13,800 community-based workers in the first year, reducing that share over the following two years.
