Nigeria’s health sector records significant progress – Health Minister

2026-03-24 - 19:16

The Federal Government has recorded significant progress in Nigeria’s health sector under President Bola Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, made this known while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja. The minister spoke on the sidelines of the 14th Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC), the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), convened by the Federal Ministry of Health. Pate highlighted achievements in primary healthcare delivery, maternal and child health, and emergency medical services. “The committee approved the disbursement of N32 billion to existing Basic Health Care Provision Fund facilities, following last year’s reform guidelines. “Plans are underway to expand direct facility financing to 5,000 additional healthcare centres across the country,” he said. He emphasised the impact of government-backed programmes on maternal health, noting that more than 40,000 women had received reimbursed emergency obstetric services. According to him, such is making critical care more affordable. He said that the free fistula programme had reached more than 4,000 women, restoring their health and livelihoods. “Reimbursement for neonatal care is also beginning, signalling broader improvements in maternal and child health services. “The committee also reviewed emergency ambulance tariffs, increasing rates to ensure private and public providers are compensated for life-saving services,” he said. On immunisation, Pate said that Nigeria achieved a historic milestone, vaccinating more than 102 million children during the integrated measles and rubella campaign. “Other preventive interventions included polio vaccination and treatments for neglected tropical diseases,” he said. He said that Nigeria’s health transformation, supported by federal, state, and local governments alongside development partners, was beginning to yield tangible results. “This is painting a promising picture for the nation’s future healthcare system,‘’ the minister said. Also, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Ishaq Salako, emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability during the meeting. Salako said that collaborations with various organisations helped to ensure that government agencies and partners delivered on their commitments. He said that those partnerships also supported tracking and monitoring of service quality, ensuring Nigerians received value for government investments, particularly in primary healthcare. Salako also addressed concerns following his keynote address at the 2026 United Kingdom Global Health Summit in London. He had called for a global compact to address the migration of health workers from developing countries to wealthier nations. He said that the migration of trained professionals from lowpo and middle-income countries had placed significant pressure on local health systems. He advocated ethical recruitment practices and compensation mechanisms for countries losing trained personnel. Responding to questions about domestic health challenges, he highlighted the urgency of addressing Lassa fever outbreaks, which recently claimed six health workers in a single week. “Lassa fever is a highly infectious disease. “We continuously advocate for personal responsibility, ensuring that health workers protect themselves before attending to patients, and maintain a high index of suspicion when dealing with potential cases. “The NCDC is actively conducting training sessions to enhance health workers’ knowledge, skills, and response measures to safeguard themselves,” he said. The minister affirmed that those efforts were ongoing and critical to maintaining the continuity and effectiveness of Nigeria’s health response. Meanwhile, the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) reported substantial progress in the performance of BHCPF, revealing that N299 billion had been received so far. According it, N257 billion has already been disbursed to support primary healthcare (PHC) service delivery across Nigeria. Acting Secretary of the MOC Secretariat, Dr Aishatu Bajoga, said that the disbursement of BHCPF funds had been steady over the years, including appropriations from the 2018 to 2024 budgets. Bajoga said that sustained inflow predictability was crucial for the continuity of gateway financing to PHC facilities. “The report shows that in 2025, twelve inflows totalling N131.5 billion were recorded, supporting quarterly disbursements to PHC facilities. “Early 2026 inflows remain limited, with N8.95 billion received so far, and a memo for approval of the Q1 2026 disbursement of N32.88 billion is set for consideration,” she said. According to her, the MOC’s programmatic update indicates a steady increase in healthcare access, with total health insurance coverage reaching 21.7 million Nigerians by Q4 2025. “The BHCPF contributed 13 per cent of this coverage. Meanwhile, 2,708 PHCs (33 per cent of validated facilities) met Level two standards, and 83 per cent of facilities achieved an average quality score of 80 per cent. “Maternal and child health indicators also showed improvement, with skilled birth attendance increasing by more than 100,000 deliveries between Q1 and Q4 2025, representing a 34 per cent rise. “Emergency medical transport (EMT) services expanded from 13 operational states in Q1 2025 to 26 in Q1 2026, benefiting 17,967 people from December 2025 to February 2026,” she said. In addition to service delivery, she highlighted efforts to strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability. “Monitoring spot checks across 11 states and 66 PHCs showed improved coordination among gateways, functional Ward Development Committee engagement, and significant BHCPF contributions to PHC performance. “Challenges remain, including disbursement timing and human resource gaps, which are being addressed in follow-up actions,” she said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the gateways were present at the 14th MOC meeting, with donor partners, Civil Society Organisations and the media.