By Iyemah David
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, says the Federal Government has revitalised about 3,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the country in the last three years as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery.
He stated this while delivering discussion framing remarks at the Northern Nigeria Human Capital Development Summit organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in collaboration with the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum, held Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, the government has significantly expanded investments in primary healthcare through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes.
“Today, almost 14,000 primary healthcare centres are functional at various levels across the country.
“Approximately 3,000 have been revitalised within the last three years, while another 1,000 are currently undergoing revitalisation,” he said.
The minister said the government had also provided basic equipment and essential commodities to support service delivery in healthcare facilities.
He said the interventions formed part of broader reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to strengthen human capital development through improved healthcare services.
He noted that the government had delivered immunisation services to more than 109 million children and improved antenatal care coverage across the country.
He added that safer delivery services had also been expanded, contributing to measurable improvements in maternal and child health outcomes.
According to him, Nigeria has recorded a 17 per cent reduction in maternal mortality and a 10 per cent reduction in newborn mortality over the past three years.
“Gradually, things are beginning to change. Not enough, certainly not enough for us to relax and say the work is done, but enough to demonstrate that change is possible,” he said.
The minister also highlighted progress in disease prevention and treatment programmes, including interventions targeting hypertension, diabetes and mental health conditions.
He said malaria prevalence had declined from about 27 per cent a few years ago to approximately 15 per cent, one of the lowest levels recorded in recent years.
He stressed that investment in health remained critical to human capital development, noting that healthier populations were more productive and contributed more effectively to economic growth.
Pate, however, urged state and local governments to complement federal efforts by investing in education, healthcare and nutrition, especially for women, children and adolescents.
According to him, sustainable improvements in human capital require collective action by governments, communities, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and families.
The minister said strengthening primary healthcare remained central to achieving better health outcomes and unlocking Nigeria’s demographic and economic potential.
