Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has announced that his administration will prioritize healthcare and education, allocating 70-80% of the state’s recurrent expenditure to these sectors in 2025.
Governor Bago disclosed this during a meeting with the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina at the Government House in Minna on Tuesday.
“We are committed to investing about 70-80% of our total expenditure into the healthcare and education sectors in 2025,” the Niger state governor stated.
He acknowledged the current human resource challenges in healthcare facilities and revealed that the state government has partnered with international firms to introduce technology, particularly in rural areas.
As part of this initiative, Niger State plans to transition healthcare facilities to renewable energy sources, Bago said.
“We aim to equip all primary healthcare centres (PHCs) with telemedicine capabilities within one month. Additionally, we are providing accommodations for healthcare workers and mini ambulances at all PHCs to improve transportation and service delivery,” Bago said.
Addressing the financial hurdles faced by healthcare facilities, the governor highlighted a solution under the state’s agricultural initiative, Niger Foods.
He explained that dedicated farms have been established for certain hospitals to support their recurrent expenditure.
Agreements for the sale of produce from these farms have already been signed, ensuring the financial sustainability of the hospitals, he added.
In his remarks, Dr. Aina praised Niger State’s achievements in the healthcare sector but noted a gap in human resources, especially in rural areas.
“The state government has made significant strides, despite its size and challenges. We conducted an assessment of PHCs nationwide, and Niger State has about 270 decent centres. However, we found that long distances to healthcare facilities negatively impact maternity care,” Aina said.
He emphasized the need for facilities to operate 24 hours with adequate staff and accommodations for healthcare workers. To complement the state’s efforts, Aina said that the NPHCDA has secured N260 million to build 40 additional PHCs across Niger State.
He said that the NPHCDA also plans to increase funding to PHCs under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), raising allocations from N300,000 to N800,000, based on patient capacity.
Aina urged for transparency and accountability in managing these funds.
Furthermore, Aina called for the recruitment of more staff for PHCs, stressing the importance of community engagement to ensure sustainable healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved areas. He highlighted the revamping of the Community Health Influencers, Promoters, and Services (CHIPS) program to involve state governments in addressing rural healthcare needs.
Aina also pointed out the need for effective supervision to improve service quality, urging the state to provide the necessary logistics.
He called for efforts to expand health insurance coverage and streamline the distribution of vaccines by establishing zonal medical stores in Bida and Kontagora.
