FG approves N40.7 billion for healthcare delivery in Q3 2026

The Federal Government has granted N40.7 billion for healthcare provision under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) for the third quarter of 2026. This funding, which comes from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), was approved during the 16th BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting in Abuja. Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this during the meeting.

The additional funding will be used to expand the BHCPF to 5,000 primary healthcare facilities and extend health insurance coverage to around 90,000 prisoners. Pate stressed that the federal government's contribution alone would not suffice in addressing Nigeria's healthcare challenges, urging state and local governments to contribute more.

He noted that many healthcare issues require subnational action and that states should supplement federal allocations, especially considering the need for targeted action in areas with greater healthcare needs.

The committee deliberated on plans to extend coverage to an additional 5,000 primary healthcare facilities, building upon the existing network of over 8,000 facilities. The selection will take into account disease burden, population distribution, distance to healthcare facilities, and equity to prioritize communities with greater healthcare needs.

Pate also outlined plans to use savings from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to recruit frontline health workers. These workers will be phased in over the next three years, with states expected to take increasing responsibility for employing and recruiting additional personnel.

Dr. Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, announced that the committee approved the inclusion of prisoners in Nigeria under the Vulnerable Group Health Insurance Fund. Approximately 90,000 prisoners will be covered under this arrangement. Salako emphasized the importance of increasing state-level funding to enhance responses to disease outbreaks, such as Lassa fever, cholera, and diphtheria.

Adequate funding would enable states to manage outbreaks more effectively, while he also urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive routine vaccinations against diphtheria.