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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Government has approved N32 billion for disbursement to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) for the first quarter of 2026 under the platform of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to sustain healthcare service delivery nationwide.
The government also okayed the revised ambulance tariffs under the Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT) gateway of the BHCPF to improve emergency response systems, as well as other efforts to integrate private sector actors into the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) framework.
These decisions were taken at the 14th expanded BHCPF MOC meeting in Abuja under the chairmanship of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.
The Minister said the meeting convened key government institutions, partners and stakeholders to reinforce accountability, improve efficiency and accelerate impact in healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
He said: “The MOC provides strategic direction, coordination and oversight for the implementation of the BHCPF. As Nigeria advanced reforms under BHCPF 2.0, the 14th MOC meeting served as a critical platform to review implementation progress, strengthen alignment across gateways and drive key policy and operational decisions.”
The minister noted that building on deliberations from the 13th MOC meeting (Q4 2025), the meeting focused on tracking action items, reviewing gateway and programme updates and advancing key discussions on financing and service delivery.
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He said the committee received presentations from BHCPF gateways and national programmes, including key stakeholders, highlighting progress in service delivery, fund utilisation and programme implementation and discussions emphasised the need to strengthen data reporting, improve efficiency and enhance coordination across gateways.
He also noted that updates from the SWAp Coordination Office and the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics (DHPRS) reinforced the importance of alignment, data-driven planning and performance tracking, while contributions from the civil society organisations (CSOs) underscored the critical role of community engagement, demand generation and accountability.
Additionally, the ambulance tariff costing presentation by the National Emergency Management Technical Committee (NEMTC) highlighted the need for standardised and sustainable financing for emergency transport services nationwide.
The minister observed that sustained coordination was critical to maximising the impact of BHCPF across all gateways and confirmed that BHCPF 2.0 implementation was progressing with increased emphasis on efficiency, accountability and service delivery outcomes.
He said SWAp alignment was essential for harmonising partner support and strengthening health systems and evidence-based decision-making, including costing and performance data, which remains central to improving service delivery.
He also stated that timely disbursement and accountability mechanisms were key to sustaining gains at the facility level, adding that stakeholder collaboration, including CSOs and national programmes, was vital for demand generation and transparency.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to strengthening Nigeria’s health system, expanding equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare, advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through sustained reforms, accountability mechanisms and partnership-driven implementation of the BHCPF.
