Mohammed Ali Pate, Nigeria’s coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare
The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of N32 billion to health facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system and improve access to essential services.
The coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after the ministerial oversight committee meeting.
He said the quarterly meeting reviewed progress under President Bola Tinubu’s health sector renewal investment initiative.
“The resources that the Federal Government is disbursing through the BHCPF are getting to the facilities, and we also approved the disbursement of N32 billion to the facilities,” he said.
Pate noted that the committee assessed key performance indicators across primary healthcare, including service utilisation, mortality rates, and immunisation coverage.
He added that reforms approved last year are already being implemented, with plans to expand direct funding to more facilities nationwide.
“We are on our way to expanding the facilities to add 5,000 more that will be receiving direct facility financing,” he stated.
The minister also highlighted progress in maternal health interventions, particularly in emergency obstetric care.
According to him, over 40,000 women have benefitted from reimbursed emergency services, easing financial burdens on families.
“It is important to note that the reimbursement for complications of obstetric deliveries appears to be doing very well. More than 40,000 women have had emergency services reimbursed, and that has made it affordable for them and their families,” he noted.
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Pate further emphasised the impact of the administration’s policy to make treatment for emergency obstetric complications free, describing it as a life-saving intervention.
“There is widespread acknowledgement that the vision of the president to make treatment of emergency obstetric services free is saving the lives of women,” he added.
In addition, he revealed that more than 4,000 women have benefited from the government’s free fistula treatment programme.
The committee also reviewed and approved increased tariffs for emergency ambulance services to encourage improved response from both public and private providers.
