By Ayo Kehinde
The Federal Government has released N32.9 billion under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across the country.
It urged Nigerians to take ownership and ensure transparency in the use of the funds, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the newly approved funds represent the third round of BHCPF disbursement this year.
In a statement signed on Wednesday, the minister disclosed that the funds have already been transferred to the commercial bank accounts of primary healthcare facilities in every ward across Nigeria.
“It is your clinic’s money. It is your community’s chance. It is your country’s promise”, Pate stated, urging citizens to work with local health committees, traditional leaders, and community organisations to plan and monitor expenditures.
The minister emphasised that each facility now has the power to plan and spend responsibly with input from local stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes in healthcare delivery. He noted that transparency and community participation are vital to ensuring that the funds achieve their intended purpose.
“This fund is the heartbeat of Nigeria’s renewed hope in health—a signal that government is not only fulfilling its responsibility as the custodian of the fund, but trusting you to help safeguard that spending,
“Each naira in this N32.9 billion is a seed. When you nurture it with vigilance and pride, it grows into medicine, safe births, better infrastructure, and lives saved. When you neglect it, it withers into waste.
“Together, we plan. Together, we spend. Together, we protect life”, he charged.
