Nigeria's basic health fund has paid out ₦249.6bn in three years
Insurance enrolment is up to 23 million, clinic visits to 43 million, and 90,000 prisoners are to get health cover.
Abuja — Nigeria's Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has disbursed ₦249.6 billion in the past three years, 77% of everything it has paid out since it was set up in 2019, Minister of State for Health Iziaq Salako said in Abuja.
The fund, created under the National Health Act 2014, pays for essential care for poor and vulnerable Nigerians. A further ₦40.76 billion was approved on 14 October, split between the National Health Insurance Authority, the primary health care agency, emergency treatment and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
What the money has done, by the ministry's figures
- Health insurance enrolment rose from about 16.2 million in 2023 to 23.06 million by late 2026; 3.18 million vulnerable people are covered by the fund.
- 8,309 primary health centres now get money directly, with 5,212 more to be added and a target of 17,600.
- Clinic attendance rose from 34.55 million in 2023 to 43.06 million.
- 96,068 women and babies received emergency caesareans, fistula repair and other urgent maternal and newborn care.
- About 90,000 people in prisons are to receive health insurance.
- Emergency transport now runs in 171 of the 172 local government areas in the maternal mortality programme.
The government is working with the National Assembly to double the fund's share of federal revenue from 1% to 2%.
Source: Premium Times, 28 October 2026.
