In major move to improve the country’s overall health indices, the Federal Government has taken significant steps to strengthen two pillars of Nigeria’s health system – health insurance and primary health care – for improved performance and outcomes.   

At the heart of the initiative is the redesign of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) which when fully implemented will ensure better alignment of resources towards improving Nigeria’s health outcomes of saving lives and producing health.  

The expected outcomes include improved antenatal coverage, increased skilled-birth attendance, reduce stunting & wasting, reduce adolescent birth rate, reduce the number of zero-dose children, increase percentage of coverage, Increase the percentage of children 0-12 months fully immunized and Increase health insurance coverage.  

This initiative is in line with Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Initiative approved by the 64th National Council on Health and President Bola Tinubu’s approval for a sector-wide approach for better results in managing the country’s health challenges. 

 BHCPF is a product of the National Health Act established to support the effective delivery of primary and secondary health care services through the provision of a Basic Minimum Package of Health Care Services (BMPHS) and Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT). The central purpose is to ensure access to health care for all, particularly the poor, thus contributing to overall national productivity. 

The steps were announced after the latest meeting of the Ministerial Oversight Committee supervising the BHCPF yesterday. 

The first priority is to achieve a comprehensive improvement of BHCPF by tackling observed flaws. Following a thorough assessment and audit of the BHCPF which revealed major flaws in Programmatic, Operational and Fiduciary aspects of BHCPF implementation which require major reforms and redesign, all the 36 states and the FCT have demonstrated commitment to rectify these flaws by signing up a remediation plan with the Federal Ministry of Health and committing to implement corrective measures immediately. 

In addition, the MOC has in the interim approved the release of funds (25bn two quarters fund) to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the National Health Insurance Authority based on the current 2020 Guideline pending the revision of the new guideline by the 3rd quarter 2024.  

This release is to prevent a significant disruption to service provision at designated BHCPF PHC facilities.