FG seeks NASS approval to double healthcare funding

Targets 2% of CRF for basic healthcare

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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Federal Government has commenced moves to increase funding for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), in a bid to expand access to essential healthcare services and strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, during a briefing on three years of implementation and reforms of the BHCPF under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He explained that the government was working with the National Assembly to secure approval for the proposed increase.

Salako, who is also the alternate chairman of the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) of the BHCPF, said the proposed amendment was being pursued through a private member’s bill in the National Assembly, rather than an executive bill.

He expressed optimism that the bill would be passed and implementation could commence before 2027, while also stressing that the government’s advocacy went beyond legislative approval to ensuring prompt implementation.

According to him, increasing the statutory allocation would provide additional resources to finance essential health services, improve emergency medical care, strengthen disease outbreak preparedness and support research and health promotion.

He, however, acknowledged that securing the proposed two per cent allocation remained a work in progress, urging the media and civil society organisations to support the government’s advocacy.

Salako explained that the administration had prioritised more effective implementation of the National Health Act, 2014, noting that several provisions of the legislation had remained largely unimplemented years after its enactment.

He said the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) was designed to address implementation gaps and drive reforms that would translate into better healthcare delivery for Nigerians.

The minister also emphasised the need for immediate implementation of the proposed amendment, warning that passing a law without putting its provisions into practice would undermine its intended benefits.

Providing details of the fund’s performance, Salako said a total of N422.3 billion had been released under the BHCPF between the commencement of disbursement in 2019 and September 2026, with N323.6 billion disbursed.

Of that amount, N249.6 billion, representing 77.1 per cent, was disbursed during the first three years of the Tinubu administration.

He added that the Ministerial Oversight Committee had approved an additional N40.76 billion for disbursement in the third quarter of 2026. “When the approved amount is disbursed, cumulative disbursements will rise to N364.3 billion, with N290.2 billion, or 79.7 per cent, attributable to the current administration,” he said.

Salako said the government’s commitment to basic healthcare financing was also reflected in increased statutory releases, which rose from N51.6 billion in 2023 to N132.2 billion between January and September 2026.

He noted that the fund supports vulnerable Nigerians through health insurance, direct financing of primary healthcare facilities, emergency medical treatment and disease surveillance and response.

“National health insurance enrolment increased from approximately 16.2 million people in 2023 to 23.06 million by the third quarter of 2026. Direct facility financing currently supports 8,309 primary healthcare centres nationwide, with plans to expand coverage to 13,521 facilities,” he further explained.

The minister also called on state governments to strengthen their participation in healthcare financing, citing Katsina State’s recent release of N240.79 million to its health insurance agency as an example for other states to emulate.

He said the Federal Government was strengthening accountability mechanisms, including beneficiary identification through the National Identification Number (NIN) and collaboration with relevant oversight institutions to monitor the use of public funds.

Salako maintained that increased funding must translate into measurable improvements in healthcare access and quality, particularly for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

He insisted that the ultimate objective was to ensure that families were not pushed further into poverty by medical expenses and that pregnant women and other patients could access essential services regardless of where they lived.