Nigeria's Health Minister Announces N249.6bn BHCPF Disbursement

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced during a ministerial briefing in Abuja that the federal government disbursed N249.6 billion to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) over three years. The government aims to expand direct financing to at least 17,600 primary healthcare facilities and provide health insurance for approximately 90,000 inmates in correctional centres nationwide.

As of September 2026, total releases to the fund reached N422.3 billion, with cumulative disbursements projected to rise to N364.3 billion following an additional N40.76 billion approval by the Ministerial Oversight Committee on October 14, 2026. Under President Bola Tinubu's administration, N290.2 billion is expected to be disbursed.

The BHCPF, established under the National Health Act, 2014, aims to improve access to basic healthcare services for vulnerable populations. Salako noted that national health insurance enrolment increased from 16.2 million in 2023 to 23.06 million by Q3 2026, with 3,182,943 vulnerable Nigerians receiving coverage through the BHCPF.