ABUJA — The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of N40.76 billion under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) for the third quarter of 2026, marking an increase of N7.88 billion compared to the N32.88 billion allocated in the second quarter.
The approval was announced by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, during the 16th Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting held in Abuja.
The third-quarter disbursement will be distributed across four primary operational gateways:
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National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA): Allocated N19.87 billion to expand vulnerable group health coverage.
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National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA): Allocated N18.34 billion to support primary healthcare facilities.
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National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS): Allocated N2.04 billion for emergency transport and acute care interventions.
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Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC): Allocated N509.48 million for epidemic response and public health surveillance.
As part of the healthcare reform measures, the Federal Government officially approved extending health insurance coverage to approximately 90,000 inmates across correctional facilities nationwide under the NHIA vulnerable group insurance framework.
Prof. Pate also revealed that the Direct Facility Financing (DFF) scheme has been expanded from 8,309 to 13,521 primary healthcare centers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with funding distribution prioritized by population density and disease burden rather than political ward boundaries.
