The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of over ₦32 billion to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and expand health insurance coverage nationwide.
The approval was granted at the fourth quarterly meeting of the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) for 2025, held on Friday in Abuja and convened by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Speaking at the meeting, Ms Kachallom Daju, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the fourth release of funds under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to regular funding, transparency, and accountability in the health sector.
Daju said the quarterly rhythm of the MOC meetings had been firmly established, ensuring predictable financing and closer oversight of health sector performance across federal, state, and local government levels. She added that the funds are expected to support improvements in service delivery at primary healthcare centres, boost health insurance enrollment, and strengthen key health “gateways,” including service provision, financing, and accountability.
She noted that the inclusion of civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector, and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the MOC had further strengthened coordination, particularly at the level of primary healthcare facilities managed by local governments.
Daju commended development partners, civil society groups, and the media for supporting reforms in the health sector, assuring Nigerians that further improvements would be recorded in 2026. She added that President Bola Tinubu’s administration prioritized health as a key mandate, with accountability and transparency central to ongoing reforms aimed at saving lives and improving the well-being of Nigerians.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said regular disbursements had contributed to measurable gains in primary healthcare services. He noted that collaboration among federal, state, and local governments had made the health system more inclusive.
“The fourth MOC meeting for 2025 recorded notable progress across primary healthcare indicators. Service utilization continues to rise nationwide, including increased attendance at primary healthcare centres, improved immunization uptake, and higher utilization of other essential health services,” Aina said.
He explained that for the first time, disbursements under the BHCPF will follow the BHCPF 2.0 guidelines, introducing differentiated funding based on service volume. Beginning January 2026, low-volume facilities will receive ₦600,000 per quarter, while high-volume facilities will receive ₦800,000, replacing the previous flat-rate system. The objective is to better align resources with patient load, improve service readiness, and reduce out-of-pocket health spending.
Aina added that preliminary findings from the National Health Accounts suggest a possible decline in out-of-pocket expenditure, although further analysis is required. He noted that the major challenge in 2025 remains the pace of progress and said the focus for 2026 will be on accelerating impact in primary healthcare revitalization, MAMI interventions, immunization, maternal, newborn and child health, and reproductive health services.
Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), said health insurance coverage had steadily improved, attributing the gains to better coordination and accountability. He added that the MOC had strengthened transparency by publishing details of transfers from the one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund to states and local governments, enabling Nigerians to track how health funds are allocated and utilized.
Ohiri said the quarterly meetings also serve as a platform for accountability, requiring implementing agencies to report on resource deployment across BHCPF and other funding streams. Looking ahead, he said the sector would focus on accelerating impact in 2026, building on the foundations laid in 2025.
It was reported that in 2025, the MOC approved ₦32.88 billion drawn from the first-quarter release to cover BHCPF implementation for Q1 and Q2 (~₦16.44 billion per quarter). The funds were expected to be disbursed by Q2. The committee also approved ₦32.88 billion for Q3 implementation, with disbursement expected by the end of August. On October 24, 2025, a release of ₦32.9 billion was publicly announced as the third disbursement of 2025 to support primary healthcare centres nationwide.
