Urgent Reforms Needed for Nigeria's Primary Healthcare System

Stakeholders have demanded urgent grassroots reforms to address Nigeria's struggling primary healthcare system, warning that weak accountability structures and poor community participation undermine healthcare delivery nationwide. This call was made during a policy dialogue organized by the Health Sector Reform Coalition in collaboration with Budgit.

Salma Ibrahim, a special advisor to the President on health, reiterated the federal government's commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and increasing funding through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). Dr. Kolawole Oluwafemi, Executive Director of the Health Sector Reform Coalition, stressed the importance of empowering citizens to actively participate in monitoring healthcare delivery and holding duty bearers accountable.

Gabriel Okeowo from Budgit highlighted the necessity of transparency in public fund allocation to improve healthcare services. Stakeholders noted the alarming rise in maternal and child mortality rates, attributing this partly to the poor state of primary healthcare facilities, and urged state and local governments to prioritize healthcare funding and recruit frontline workers.