Health
BHCPF disburses N339bn in 12 years, N235bn under Tinubu
The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has disbursed N339 billion to states since its establishment in 2014, with N235 billion released in the last three years, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has said.
Mr Pate said the increased funding reflects intensified investments in primary healthcare and has accelerated access to essential health services across the country.
He spoke on Friday in Abuja after chairing the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting on the implementation of the BHCPF and other health sector reforms.
“In the last 12 years of BHCPF, N339 billion was disbursed to states, out of which N235 billion was disbursed only in the last three years,’ he said.
“This shows the intensification of the effort to expand Primary Health Care (PHC) under this administration,” he said.
Mr Pate said the committee approved N32.88 billion as the second-quarter 2026 BHCPF disbursement to sustain healthcare services nationwide.
He added that the committee also approved modalities for the inclusion of private-sector representatives on the Ministerial Oversight Committee to strengthen stakeholder participation in health sector governance.
Primary healthcare expansion
According to the minister, more than 8,000 PHCs across the 36 states continue to receive funding through the BHCPF gateways.
He said the funds are channelled through primary healthcare agencies, health insurance authorities, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and emergency medical services.
Mr Pate added that assessments are underway to increase the number of supported facilities from more than 8,000 to 17,600 nationwide.
He also said the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has upgraded more than 3,000 PHCs at different stages across the country.
Emergency care and disease preparedness
Mr Pate said the investments had resulted in increased utilisation of healthcare services and expansion of emergency medical treatment nationwide.
According to him, 35 states have established emergency medical service structures, while the remaining two still rely on federal institutions for emergency response.
He said more than 130,000 Nigerians have benefited from emergency medical services financed through the BHCPF.
The minister added that the NCDC has continued to support states in strengthening disease surveillance, outbreak detection, and emergency response through the fund.
He disclosed that the federal government has approved disbursements to all 36 states to strengthen preparedness against Ebola Virus Disease following recent developments in parts of Africa.
Improving health indicators
Mr Pate said preliminary results from the 2026 Mini Demographic and Health Survey (Mini-DHS) indicate improvements in several key health indicators since the National Health Sector Renewal Initiative began.
According to him, the survey recorded improvements in antenatal care attendance, skilled birth attendance, contraceptive use, immunisation coverage, child health and HIV services.
“The purpose was to see if we are making progress, and we are glad to see that there is progress. It means we have to double down,” he said.
He added that health insurance enrolment has increased from about 15 million beneficiaries at the start of the current administration to more than 22 million, with over six million Nigerians newly enrolled in the past three years.
Maternal and newborn health
The minister said more than 48,000 women have received free comprehensive emergency obstetric care funded by the federal government through 237 participating health facilities nationwide.
He said many beneficiaries would have struggled to pay for life-saving interventions, including caesarean sections.
READ ALSO: Professors Adamu and Pate: Gentle giants of communication scholarship, By Yushau A Shuaib
Mr Pate also disclosed that the government’s Free Fistula Programme has provided surgical repairs for more than 4,771 women, who have also been rehabilitated and reintegrated into society after treatment.
In addition, he said more than 2,900 newborns have benefited from the federal government’s neonatal health programme.
Mr Pate reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening accountability, improving coordination and ensuring the efficient use of health resources to advance Universal Health Coverage.
(NAN)
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on a nationwide solidarity strike if the ongoing industrial dispute at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) is not resolved.
In a statement on Thursday, the health body expressed support for resident doctors who commenced an indefinite strike last week.
The association, said the industrial action by the Association of Resident Doctors, OAUTHC (ARD OAUTHC), which began on 22 June, followed months of unresolved welfare and workplace concerns that management allegedly failed to address.
NARD described the crisis as avoidable, blaming it on what it called the hospital management’s failure to respond to repeated complaints despite earlier interventions by the national body.
Previous intervention ignored
According to the association, it had written to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on 16 March, drawing attention to the deteriorating relationship between OAUTHC management and resident doctors.
The association said it requested a stakeholders’ meeting involving the ministry, hospital management, ARD OAUTHC and NARD to address issues including salary arrears, accommodation disputes, restrictions affecting the association’s secretariat and other administrative concerns.
It said despite subsequent follow-up efforts, including another intervention in June, the issues were not treated with the urgency required.
NARD accused the hospital management of adopting a “combative” and “dismissive” approach that deepened mistrust and eventually led to the indefinite strike.
Welfare concerns
The association said the doctors’ grievances centred on several welfare and workplace issues, including the refusal to provide comprehensive meal coverage for doctors on call, the transfer of identity card costs to employees, unresolved accommodation challenges and the non-payment of some allowances.
Other concerns include the imposition of bench fees on resident doctors from accredited private teaching hospitals undertaking clinical rotations at OAUTHC, as well as what NARD described as a pattern of intimidation and victimisation of resident doctors.
The association also alleged that the hospital management’s response during the strike ultimatum did not accurately reflect discussions held with the doctors, leading members of ARD OAUTHC to reject the response and proceed with the industrial action.
Nationwide action
NARD said the dispute was discussed during its May Ordinary General Meeting in Kano, where delegates raised concerns over the welfare of resident doctors and gave its National Officers’ Committee 21 days to engage relevant stakeholders.
The association said it was unacceptable that the matter was allowed to degenerate into an indefinite strike despite the warning.
They warned that the dispute now threatens patient care, emergency services, residency training and the overall stability of the teaching hospital.
NARD called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to urgently convene a high-level meeting involving all parties to resolve the dispute.
It also urged the ministry to direct the hospital management to address outstanding welfare issues, stop any form of intimidation or victimisation of resident doctors, protect members participating in lawful union activities and establish a monitored framework for implementing any agreements reached.
The association warned that if the dispute remains unresolved within a reasonable time, it would be compelled to declare a nationwide solidarity strike in support of the OAUTHC resident doctors.
Ultimatum
The latest dispute comes as NARD is already locked in a broader industrial dispute with the federal government over unresolved welfare, remuneration and training-related issues affecting resident doctors across the country.
READ ALSO: NMA warns of wider health crisis as LASUTH doctors’ strike enters second day
Earlier this month, the association declared a nationwide industrial dispute and issued the federal government a 21-day ultimatum to address demands including the release of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), payment of outstanding salary and promotion arrears, correction of allowance discrepancies, improved welfare for house officers and stronger measures to protect doctors from assaults in hospitals.
The ultimatum, which is now approaching its expiration, followed resolutions reached at the association’s Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) in Kano, where delegates also raised concerns over unresolved welfare issues at several hospitals, including OAUTHC.
At the meeting, NARD specifically warned about the alleged intimidation of resident doctors at the Ile-Ife-based teaching hospital and gave its National Officers’ Committee 21 days to engage relevant stakeholders before considering further action.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is escalating rapidly, with 89 deaths recorded in the past week alone, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Jean Kaseya, the Director-General of the Africa CDC, warned that the latest figures have heightened concerns over growing community transmission and the limited capacity of treatment centres, many of which are operating at 95 per cent bed occupancy.
Speaking during an online media briefing, Mr Kaseya noted that health authorities must simultaneously expand treatment capacity and strengthen early case detection to curb virus transmission. “Authorities must build more treatment capacity while detecting cases sooner. Early detection prevents patients from needing hospital admission,” he said.
According to Africa CDC data, Bunia, Gwampara, Mugwalu, and Nyankunde remain the epicentres of the outbreak, while Katwa, Beni, and Butembo in North Kivu continue to record active transmission. Community spread remains a primary concern; five health zones in Ituri Province and one in North Kivu account for over 85 per cent of confirmed infections. Mr Kaseya noted that only about 30 per cent of newly confirmed cases were identified from known contacts, highlighting the difficulty of contact tracing in conflict-ridden areas.
A Growing Regional Threat
The ongoing outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, presents significant challenges, as there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for this variant.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, has warned that ongoing violence and humanitarian crises in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces are severely impeding response efforts, as health workers face insecurity and community mistrust.
The WHO, in collaboration with the Africa CDC, has requested $518 million for a joint continental preparedness and response plan. While pledges have reached $910 million, only 13 per cent has been released as actual funding, leaving a significant gap that experts warn could cause the outbreak to expand further.
Nigeria’s Response and Preparedness
Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case of Ebola, the federal government has intensified surveillance and emergency response measures due to the high risk of importation.
To bolster national readiness, President Bola Tinubu recently inaugurated a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The government has also authorised the release of ₦10 billion in emergency intervention funding to strengthen the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency response activities.
Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has approved the disbursement of State Outbreak Investigation and Response Funds (S-OIRF), providing ₦21.2 million to each state through the NCDC Gateway of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has directed all beneficiary states to manage these funds transparently and return them within six months.
Heightened Surveillance
The NCDC has conducted dynamic risk assessments, classifying the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as “high” due to international travel, regional population movement, and porous borders. Consequently, surveillance at airports, seaports, and land borders has been significantly tightened.
Jide Idris, the Director-General of the NCDC, emphasised that Nigeria is building on the lessons learned from the 2014 Ebola containment effort. “As I speak, there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria. However, we have intensified preparedness activities nationwide to ensure Nigeria remains ready to rapidly detect, investigate, contain, and respond to any potential importation,” he said.
The NCDC has completed readiness assessments in 549 health facilities across 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as evaluations of 17 designated treatment centres.
READ ALSO: DRC Ebola outbreak tops 1,000 cases as death toll reaches 277- WHO
Public Advisory
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation. The agency clarified that Ebola is not an airborne disease and urged the public to rely only on updates from official health authorities.
Citizens are advised to:
Maintain regular hand hygiene.
Avoid contact with the blood or bodily fluids of sick persons.
Refrain from handling sick or dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources.
Promptly report any unusual illnesses to the nearest health facility.
For further information and technical guidance, members of the public are encouraged to visit the official ministry website: www.health.gov.ng.
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