The Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has approved the disbursement of ₦32,880,443,906.25 for the first quarter of 2025 to boost healthcare.
The approval was made during the 10th MOC meeting held yesterday, March 19, 2025, in Abuja and chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate.
The MOC also reaffirmed its commitment to advancing BHCPF reforms through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), in line with Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Initiative and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s endorsement of the SWAp.
The committee approved and recommended the adoption of the BHCPF 2.0 Guideline to enhance the administration, disbursement, and monitoring of the Fund.
The guideline, which was developed to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the BHCPF, will be implemented across the four gateways: National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Emergency Medical and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The MOC also recognized the dedicated service of Dr Mukhtar, Secretary of the Committee, following his appointment as a Permanent Secretary-designate.
Speaking during the meeting, Prof. Pate commended the committee for its efforts in advancing the BHCPF reforms. He emphasized the importance of the SWAp in achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
“We have to ensure health security by preventing outbreaks, detecting them, and being able to respond to them. That is the approval. The second approval was that of the revised guideline for the BHCPF, which is provided for by law.
“While we’re waiting for a legal opinion from the Attorney General of the Federation, the MOC agreed with the thrust of the changes that were made in the guidelines, and those are very good steps forward, which has brought in the lens of equity, has also increased the resources going to primary health care centres.
“The reality is that the BHCPF facilities all over Nigeria now are clearly functioning at much higher levels and better levels compared to non-BHCPF facilities. So, the reforms that we have undertaken over the last 18 months are working, and we appreciate the President for his leadership in ensuring that we get the resources to be able to do that,” he said.
The BHCPF is a critical component of Nigeria’s healthcare system, providing funding for basic healthcare services to vulnerable populations.
The approved disbursement of ₦32.8 billion is expected to be released in April 2025 and will be allocated to the four gateways to support the provision of healthcare services across the country.
The MOC’s approval of the disbursement and the adoption of the BHCPF 2.0 Guideline are significant steps towards achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
