Pate: FG Has Disbursed N32.88bn Basic Healthcare Fund for Q2 2026
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The federal government has approved N32,880,443,906.25 under the second quarter, 2026 BHCPF disbursement memo to sustain implementation of healthcare services nationwide.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate who conveyed government’s approval at the 5th Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) held in Abuja yesterday, said that the committee has so far disbursed a total of N290 billion under the initiative.
The meeting also approved modalities to commence inclusion of private sector actors within the Ministerial Oversight Committee framework to strengthen broader stakeholder participation in health sector governance.
As of efforts to reinforce state financing compliance, the Committee directed the MOC Secretariat to issue formal communication to all 36 states to reiterate responsibilities relating to counterpart funding obligations and equity fund commitments.
In his remarks, Pate reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening health sector governance, deepening accountability across implementing institutions, improving coordination among stakeholders, and accelerating implementation of ongoing health sector reforms under the national agenda toward achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare remained committed to ensuring efficient utilisation of public health resources and delivering equitable, affordable, and quality healthcare services for all Nigerians.
Highlights of yesterday’s deliberation by the Committee included the presentations and implementation updates from BHCPF gateways, SWAp Technical Working Groups, national priority programmes, with key stakeholders highlighting progress made across service delivery, programme implementation, healthcare financing, and system strengthening interventions.
In addition, the committee emphasised the need to strengthen accountability mechanisms, improve financing sustainability, address operational gaps identified across implementation structures, and improve coordination among key institutions.
On their part, development partners and programme stakeholders reinforced the importance of stronger alignment under SWAp implementation, evidence-based decision-making, improved resource utilisation, and collaborative approaches toward accelerating health sector reform implementation.
Deliberations also focused on strengthening emergency preparedness systems and reviewing existing molecular diagnostic laboratories and isolation centres to improve national public health response capacity.
The 15th Ministerial Oversight Committee Meeting served as a critical platform to review programme implementation progress, strengthen accountability systems, enhance coordination across implementing institutions, and drive strategic decisions aimed at improving healthcare delivery nationwide.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders across government institutions and implementing gateways, including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee (NEMTC), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), alongside development partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), and the World Bank (WB), as well as Chairpersons of State implementing agencies, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other programme leads, to deliberate on progress updates, operational challenges, financing priorities, and strategic actions necessary to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
