Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has revealed the number of health facilities that will benefit from the over N98 billion funds injected into the Primary Healthcare in 2025 is expected to rise to 13,500 across the country.
Tinubu, who described the health sector as fundamental to national productivity, security, economic growth and human dignity, asserted this yesterday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Health Convention and Roundtable 1.0 in Abuja.
He was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Noting that a country cannot be prosperous if its citizens were unhealthy, Tinubu said the operational expenses of over 8,300 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the country were facilitated by the funds released through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
He said the federal government disbursed the humongous funds last year to fast-track primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria, marking it one of the largest single-year investments in grassroots health services in recent times.
He equally revealed that the funding framework was being expanded to accommodate an additional 5,212 facilities, stressing the move would deepen access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
He emphasized the disbursement was part of the administration’s broader push to reposition the health sector as a cornerstone of national development, adding that the financial injection had already enabled the upgrading of 2,565 centres while another 1,456 PHCs were currently undergoing renovation.
The President said the upgraded facilities now provided 24-hour services, staffed with trained health workers, and equipped with essential medicines, basic medical equipment, as well as stable power and water supply.
Tinubu said: “We have strengthened the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and consistently disbursed the quarterly allocation to primary health care centres, with over N98billion disbursed to support operational expenses for over 8,300 Primary Health Care facilities last year.
“Also, we are expanding this very critical sustainable domestic financing mechanism to an additional 5,212 primary health care centres to reach a total of over 13,500 facilities. We have expanded health insurance coverage and provided it to over 10 million vulnerable individuals.
“In 2023, I tasked the Minister of Health with retraining 120,000 primary health care workers within 4 years. This is to empower them to deliver quality health care services to our people and also to enable them compete with their counterparts across the world.
“In just two years, over 78,000 frontline health workers have been trained. These include doctors, nurses, midwives, CHEWs, and JCHEWs”.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to comprehensive health sector reform, declaring that quality healthcare delivery remained a fulcrum of his Renewed Hope Agenda.
The president further highlighted progress under the Maternal Mortality RedNewbornuction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), which he said is tracking pregnant women in 172 high-burden local government areas.
He said more than 100,000 pregnant women have been linked to health facilities for antenatal, delivery and postnatal services, with free emergency maternal and newborn care provided in supported facilities.
The president urged the All Progressives Congress’ governors and legislators to align with federal reforms and increase health budget allocations toward the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration benchmark, ensure functionality of primary and secondary health facilities, strengthen state health insurance schemes, and publish measurable annual health scorecards.
He also called on the private sector, development partners, traditional rulers and faith leaders to deepen collaboration with government in delivering accessible and affordable healthcare services.
