FG Disburses ₦249.6bn To Basic Healthcare Fund Under Tinubu, Targets 17,600 Facilities
The Federal Government has disbursed ₦249.6 billion to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in the past three years under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, representing 77.1 per cent of the total ₦323.6 billion disbursed since the fund was established in 2019.
The government has also announced plans to expand direct financing to at least 17,600 primary healthcare facilities nationwide and provide health insurance coverage for approximately 90,000 Nigerians in correctional facilities.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing marking three years of BHCPF implementation and reforms.
The briefing, themed “Three Years of BHCPF and Accelerated Domestic Health Financing in Nigeria,” highlighted the fund’s achievements, implementation challenges and plans to strengthen domestic health financing.
Salako, who is the Alternate Chairman of the BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC), explained that the fund was established under the National Health Act, 2014, to improve access to essential healthcare services, particularly for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
He noted that the fund had become a key instrument for implementing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative launched by President Tinubu in December 2023.
According to him, the introduction of the updated BHCPF Guidelines 2.0 has strengthened accountability, improved performance-linked disbursements, expanded facility coverage and introduced unique beneficiary identifiers to enhance transparency.
The minister disclosed that total releases to the fund stood at ₦422.3 billion as of September 2026, while cumulative disbursements amounted to ₦323.6 billion.
He said the MOC had approved an additional ₦40.76 billion at its 16th meeting on October 14, 2026, bringing projected cumulative disbursements to ₦364.3 billion.
Of this amount, approximately ₦290.2 billion would have been disbursed under the Tinubu administration.
Salako also highlighted the government’s increased commitment to domestic health financing, noting that the 2025 federal health budget increased by nearly 60 per cent.
He added that the 2026 Appropriation Bill proposed ₦2.48 trillion for health investment, representing approximately six per cent of the budget after excluding liabilities.
How The ₦40.76bn Will Be Shared
Providing details of the latest approved allocation, the minister said ₦19.87 billion would go to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), while the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) would receive ₦18.34 billion.
He added that ₦2.04 billion had been allocated to Emergency Medical Treatment, while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) would receive ₦509.48 million.
The allocations follow the established distribution formula of 48.75 per cent for NHIA, 45 per cent for NPHCDA, five per cent for emergency medical treatment and 1.25 per cent for NCDC.
According to Salako, the funding is intended to strengthen health insurance coverage, improve primary healthcare delivery, enhance emergency medical response and support disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness.
Health Insurance Enrolment Rises To 23.06 Million
On financial protection, Salako said national health insurance enrolment increased from approximately 16.2 million people in 2023 to 23.06 million by the third quarter of 2026.
He clarified that BHCPF-supported coverage included 3,182,943 vulnerable Nigerians with National Identification Numbers.
The fund has also supported free vesicovaginal fistula surgeries and rehabilitation, emergency caesarean sections and other comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care interventions for 96,068 women and babies.
The minister further disclosed that the MOC had approved health insurance coverage for approximately 90,000 Nigerians in correctional facilities, a move expected to improve access to essential medical services among inmates.
8,309 Primary Healthcare Centres Currently Benefiting
Salako revealed that direct facility financing currently supports 8,309 primary healthcare centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the government planned to extend the programme to an additional 5,212 facilities, bringing the projected total to 13,521.
The minister added that the number of facilities attaining Level 2 readiness increased from 1,748 in 2024 to 3,202 in the third quarter of 2026.
He also reported an increase in general primary healthcare attendance from 34.55 million in 2023 to 43.06 million by the second quarter of 2026.
According to him, the fund has contributed to increased deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants and improved uptake of the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine among eligible children.
Emergency Medical Services Record 168,571 Episodes
On emergency healthcare, the minister said urban emergency medical services management and operational structures had been established in all 36 states and the FCT.
He explained that rural emergency transport services had been established in 171 of the 172 local government areas covered by the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative.
The government, he added, intends to expand the arrangement to 200 local government areas by December 2026.
Salako disclosed that the emergency medical response system had recorded 168,571 ambulance service episodes since 2023, covering obstetric emergencies, neonatal and under-five emergencies, road traffic injuries, snakebites, burns and other urgent medical conditions.
He also highlighted the role of the NCDC gateway in supporting disease surveillance and responding to public health threats.
FG Approves Salary Support For 13,800 Health Workers
Addressing health workforce challenges, Salako said 78,054 frontline health workers had been trained towards the national target of retraining 120,000 personnel, according to records presented at the June 2026 health sector review.
He further disclosed that the MOC had approved a phased salary-support arrangement for 13,800 community-based health workers and skilled birth attendants.
Under the arrangement, the Federal Government, through the NPHCDA, will provide 100 per cent of eligible salary costs in the first year, 67 per cent in the second year and 33 per cent in the third year, before states assume full responsibility.
He explained that the programme would be subject to verification, accountability requirements and the progressive absorption of eligible personnel into state employment.
The minister also announced the approval of MEDIPOOL as a pooled procurement mechanism for essential medicines and health commodities under the BHCPF.
He said its implementation would be subject to quality assurance, price benchmarks, value-for-money safeguards and supply-chain monitoring.
FG Seeks Increase In BHCPF Statutory Allocation
Salako urged state governments to fulfil their counterpart financing obligations, strengthen oversight and ensure sustainable funding for primary healthcare services.
He commended Katsina State for releasing ₦240.79 million to its State Health Insurance Agency to support expanded coverage and called on other states and the FCT to meet their responsibilities under the fund.
On accountability, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing BHCPF Guidelines 2.0, including collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to track the utilisation of public funds.
He stressed the need for timely reporting, proper retirement of advances, transparent provider payments and verification that funds released reach healthcare facilities and translate into services for patients.
Looking ahead, Salako said the Federal Government was working with the National Assembly to increase the BHCPF’s statutory allocation from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
He added that the government also planned to expand the fund’s scope to cover areas such as health research and promotion, improve accountability and strengthen state-level commitments.
The minister said the government’s immediate priorities included expanding direct financing to at least 17,600 facilities and ensuring that increased domestic health financing translated into improved health outcomes.
He maintained that the BHCPF remained a critical instrument for delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector, stressing that sustained collaboration among federal and state governments, healthcare institutions and development partners was essential to achieving accessible, equitable and quality healthcare for Nigerians.
