October 25, 2025
The Federal Government has announced the release of an additional ₦32.9 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF, for the advancement of the BHCPF 2.0 reform agenda.
Secretary of the Ministerial Oversight Committee, MOC, Dr Oritseweyimi Ogbe, announced this at the 12th MOC meeting in Abuja.
Ogbe, said, this is the third disbursement for 2025 and it’s aim to reinforce primary healthcare centres, PHCs, nationwide and improve accountability in how the funds are utilised at various communities.
He explained that the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, Gateway was validating enrollee lists, while the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Gateway was also scaling up the Direct Facility Financing initiative.
“As of Q2 2025, the BHCPF contributed 13 per cent to total health insurance coverage, with 21 states operational under the Emergency Medical Transport (EMT) gateway for rapid medical response.
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“Outpatient attendance in BHCPF-supported facilities increased by 1.4 million between Q1 and Q2 2025, marking a 28 per cent rise and demonstrating improved access to essential primary health services.
“Additionally, the number of deliveries conducted by skilled birth attendants increased by 18 per cent within the same period, reflecting the BHCPF’s growing impact on maternal and child health outcomes.”
He described the Coordinating Minister of Health’s official sign-off of the BHCPF 2.0 guideline as a major milestone, which strengthens accountability, sustainability, and measurable results in fund utilization.
“Electronic copies of the BHCPF 2.0 guideline will be disseminated nationwide, while State Oversight Committees (SOCs) are being onboarded with technical support from partners including BMGF, R4D, CHAI, and the Lafiya Project,” he said.
He said that the onboarding sessions would orient states on oversight responsibilities and promote integration of BHCPF implementation with the Sector-Wide Approach, SWAP, and National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, NHSRII.
Ogbe said the redesigned fund includes a two-pronged accountability framework, self-assessment by gateways and citizen-led monitoring through Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, to promote transparency and informed decision-making.
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“The data collected will form the BHCPF Accountability Index, published biannually, to evaluate performance, strengthen internal processes, and track progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
“The Ministry of Health has also deepened collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) through a Joint Task Team for transparent fund monitoring and deterrence measures.
“The ICPC partnership, established through an existing Memorandum of Understanding, will ensure proper tracking of fund utilisation, minimise misuse, and uphold integrity across all BHCPF disbursement processes,” he said.
He outlined the next steps, which include SOC onboarding nationwide, implementation of a full accountability framework, domestication of BHCPF 2.0 guidelines, and state-level monitoring spot checks for compliance verification.
He said with sustained partner support and MOC oversight, BHCPF 2.0 is positioned to strengthen Nigeria’s health financing system, improve service delivery, and accelerate progress toward equitable and universal healthcare.
