By Muhammad Amaan
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria over the timely release of funds for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), to strengthen primary healthcare delivery nationwide.
The lawmakers particularly commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for its performance, particularly in implementing the BHCPF.
The commendation came in Abuja during the Ministry’s 2026 budget defence before the Joint House Committees on Health Services.
Presenting the proposal, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the Ministry is seeking a total of ₦224.36 billion for 2026, comprising ₦186.72 billion for capital projects, ₦10.36 billion for personnel costs, ₦25.89 billion for multilateral and bilateral loans, and ₦1.59 billion for overheads.
Prof Pate stressed that service delivery depends more on the timely release of funds than allocations, noting that delays often hamper execution.
He also disclosed that Nigeria will host two major international health events in 2026, the Fifth High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (June 29-30) and the Commonwealth Meeting on Nursing, with the AMR meeting, the first of its kind in Africa, expected to attract about 170 ministers and global officials, requiring an additional ₦2 billion.
On the 2025 budget performance, the Minister reported full utilisation of personnel costs via IPPIS and near-total utilisation of overhead releases, but noted that capital releases were yet to be utilised due to cash plan policies, despite progress recorded through interventions such as the Presidential Vaccine Taskforce, Sector-Wide Approach and BHCPF.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Rt Hon Amos Gwamna Magaji, described BHCPF as a lifeline for grassroots healthcare delivery, urging the Ministry to work with relevant authorities to reduce delays in fund releases and improve communication through a designated liaison officer.
He assured that the committee would scrutinise the proposal, while expressing concern that the Ministry’s budget growth does not yet match Nigeria’s rising population.
