The federal government has approved ₦40.76 billion for the third-quarter 2026 disbursement under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and extended health insurance coverage to about 90,000 inmates in correctional facilities across the country.
Key Highlights
- ₦40.758 billion approved for the Q3 2026 BHCPF disbursement, up about ₦7.88 billion from Q2.
- NHIA gets ₦19.87 billion; NPHCDA gets ₦18.34 billion.
- About 90,000 inmates to be covered under the Vulnerable Group Health Insurance Fund.
- BHCPF-supported primary healthcare facilities to rise from 8,309 to 13,521.
- New measures on pooled procurement, pricing benchmarks and supply-chain monitoring for medicines.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, announced the decisions after the 16th meeting of the BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee in Abuja.
According to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the approved ₦40.758 billion represents an increase of about ₦7.88 billion from the ₦32.88 billion allocated for the second quarter of 2026.
How the ₦40.76bn Will Be Shared
Under the approved allocation, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) will receive ₦19.87 billion, while the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has been allocated ₦18.34 billion.
Emergency Medical Treatment will receive ₦2.04 billion, while approximately ₦509.48 million will go to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The government said the funding would strengthen primary healthcare services and improve access to essential medical care, particularly for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Health Insurance for 90,000 Inmates
The committee also approved the extension of health insurance coverage to approximately 90,000 inmates following a request by the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The initiative will enable eligible inmates to access basic healthcare through the Vulnerable Group Health Insurance Fund, administered by the NHIA.
However, inmates already covered by state health insurance schemes will be excluded from the arrangement. The implementation will also be subject to reporting requirements and other safeguards.
The decision is part of efforts to expand access to healthcare for vulnerable groups, including people in correctional facilities.
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The federal government also plans to increase the number of primary healthcare facilities benefiting from the fund from 8,309 to 13,521 nationwide.
The expansion will bring an additional 5,212 facilities into the programme across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The selection process will consider population, disease burden, equity and the distance between communities and existing healthcare facilities.
To improve access to essential medicines, the committee also approved measures to strengthen pooled procurement, introduce pricing benchmarks and improve supply-chain monitoring.
The measures are intended to promote transparency, ensure value for money and improve the availability of medicines in healthcare facilities.
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