ABUJA, Dec. 27, 2025 (Naija247news) – For 24-year-old Mrs Ozi Longi of Shere community near Bwari in the Federal Capital Territory, going into labour no longer meant risking her life. At a fully equipped and staffed Primary Health Care (PHC) facility, Longi safely delivered her baby, a rare reassurance in a country where maternal mortality has long been a persistent threat.
Longi’s experience reflects a broader transformation in Nigeria’s health sector, increasingly driven by domestic funding, accountability systems, and stronger governance that ensure resources reach PHCs nationwide. Funding streams include federal, state, and local budgets, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), and contributions from national health insurance schemes.
Public health experts say that boosting domestic financing reduces dependency on foreign aid, enabling sustainable improvements in infrastructure, staffing, and drug availability. Yet, challenges remain: only about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s 34,000 PHCs are fully functional, with gaps in electricity, clean water, and trained personnel. Nigeria has roughly 35,000 doctors nationwide, far below World Health Organization standards, while only 11 per cent of PHCs meet minimum nurse and midwife staffing requirements.
Despite these challenges, state-level reforms are gaining traction. At the 2025 PHC Leadership Awards in Abuja, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), announced that state health budgets rose from N831 billion to N2.36 trillion, signalling stronger commitment to primary healthcare. Several states reported reductions in maternal mortality directly attributed to enhanced PHC investment, better staffing, and more reliable drug supplies.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), disclosed that N52.5 billion has been disbursed to 8,309 PHCs since 2023, with quarterly funding now providing N800,000 for high-volume and N600,000 for low-volume facilities. A Financial Management App is being piloted to track expenditures in real time, reduce leakages, and strengthen public confidence.
Training efforts are also underway. Over 72,000 frontline health workers have completed training, with a national target of 120,000 by 2026. In the third quarter of 2025, antenatal attendance rose 22.5 per cent, with over 54,000 pregnant women accessing PHCs across ten states.
Experts stress that accountability and community oversight are crucial to sustain progress. Ward Development Committees, Civil Society Organisations, and Performance and Financial Management Officers monitor PHC funds, while partnerships with anti-corruption agencies prevent diversion of resources. Public dashboards, digital monitoring tools, and FOI disclosures allow citizens to track improvements in facilities, service delivery, and funding.
Despite gains, challenges persist. Corruption, insecurity, health worker migration, uneven state performance, and weak referral systems continue to limit access. Health economist Dr Abigail Banji noted that strong accountability is key to translating investment into measurable outcomes, including fewer maternal deaths, healthier children, improved immunisation, and reduced pressure on tertiary hospitals.
For communities like Shere, the impact is tangible. Bulus Dasat, a community health worker in Nasarawa State, said confidence in PHCs is returning, while mothers like Lydia Imani now prefer PHCs for reliable, respectful, and personalised care.
“For women like Longi and millions of others, accountable domestic investment is not an abstract concept; it is literally the difference between life and loss,” said Dr Mustapha Lecky, Coordinator of the Health Sector Reform Coalition.
As Nigeria continues to strengthen domestic funding, governance, and accountability in primary healthcare, these reforms may well determine whether millions of Nigerians finally gain access to consistent, life-saving care at the community level.
Sub Zero ✔
Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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