By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Federal Government has reiterated that its role in primary healthcare (PHC) delivery is largely supportive, stressing that the constitutional responsibility for PHC lies with the states.

Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue themed “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dialogue organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) seeks to reimagine financing models that make healthcare more equitable, sustainable, and accessible for all Nigerians.

Aina explained that federal interventions were designed to mobilise resources, strengthen state efforts, and expand access to essential services.

“Federal government intervention is just that, intervention. Primary healthcare is the responsibility of the states.

“Our role is at the midline, including resource mobilisation and targeted interventions,” he said.

He noted that discussions were ongoing with the National Assembly to potentially increase federal contributions to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) beyond the current one per cent provided by the National Health Act.

However, he cautioned that specific timelines for such increases were tied to the political economy.

On the cost of vaccines, he clarified that the estimated expenses covered full procurement over a 5–6-year cycle, with support expected from development partners and other stakeholders.

Highlighting efforts to expand PHC infrastructure, Aina disclosed that the government was scaling up the number of revitalised PHC facilities from 8,000 to 17,600.

He said while the target would not cover all PHCs nationwide, it represented a substantial increase in access to basic healthcare.

“Balancing the footprint of this funding requires ensuring that facilities have the necessary infrastructure, human resources, and oversight.

“The 17,600 target set by the Coordinating Minister is the direction we are working towards, and it marks a significant improvement from where we started,” he added.

Also speaking, Dr Oritseweyimi Ogbe, Secretary of the BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee, stressed the importance of accountability and transparency in fund utilisation.

He noted that as the BHCPF became increasingly digitalised, stakeholders would have access to real-time information on allocations and expenditures at the facility level.

“Money for solar should be solar, money for equipment should be for equipment.

“With digital processes, everyone, federal, state, and even communities, can track what funds are meant for and whether they were used accordingly,” Ogbe explained.

According to him, the new systems being introduced under the BHCPF would strengthen financial management, improve community trust, and ensure that grants translated into tangible health improvements.

He added that ongoing collaboration with NHIA and development partners would help drive awareness, enforcement, and community involvement.

“We want to make sure that we are doing more with grants, using new processes that allow people to check and verify.

“This is how we build confidence, improve service delivery, and keep the system accountable,” he said.

NAN reports that stakeholders at the meeting underscore the need for sustained advocacy, political commitment, and efficient use of resources to accelerate progress in Nigeria’s health sector. (NAN)

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