Nigeria’s health system has climbed to 4th in Africa while health insurance enrolment rose from 16 million to 22 million Nigerians in the last three years, the Federal Government said on Thursday.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the gains after co-chairing the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting on the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund with Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako.
According to Pate, the progress reflects reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative being implemented through the Sector-Wide Approach. He said early data from the 2026 Mini Demographic and Health Survey also point to improvements in antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, immunisation, child health and other key indicators.
“While the BHCPF has disbursed ₦339 billion over its 12-year history, ₦235 billion, nearly 70 per cent of the total, has been released in just the last three years under the current administration,” Pate said, describing it as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare.
The Minister said investments under the fund have enabled over 8,000 Primary Healthcare Centres to receive direct facility financing, expanded emergency medical services nationwide, strengthened disease surveillance, and increased access to essential services. He added that more than 48,000 women have received free comprehensive emergency obstetric care, while emergency medical services have provided life-saving care to over 130,000 Nigerians.
Pate also announced BHCPF-supported preparedness funding for all 36 states and the FCT to strengthen readiness against Ebola Virus Disease, in line with the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness. He urged state and local governments to meet their counterpart funding obligations and improve staffing at primary health facilities to sustain the gains.
The BHCPF is the Federal Government’s flagship financing mechanism for primary healthcare, financial protection, emergency medical services and health security. It is a key pillar of the NHSRII, which operates on the “One Plan, One Budget, One Conversation” principle to drive Universal Health Coverage under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
With the latest ranking, Nigeria’s health system now sits behind only South Africa, Tunisia and Kenya on the continent.
