Reported by Usman Ishaq Shehu
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to commence the 2024 audit of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in July, as part of efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the nation’s primary healthcare system. This follows the completion of a comprehensive review of the fund’s revised operational guidelines by the Federal Government.
According to Dr. Oritseweyimi Ogbe, Secretary of the BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee, financial audits for 2022 and 2023 have already been completed, with the draft report from the Auditor-General’s office expected soon. He also disclosed that over ₦159 billion has been disbursed for primary healthcare delivery since the fund’s inception in 2019. Disbursements for the first and second quarters of 2025 are currently being processed, following integration into a new federal financial management system.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, emphasized that the Tinubu administration is prioritizing reforms in the health sector through enhanced inter-agency collaboration, transparency at all levels of government, and alignment with the Presidential Executive Order on healthcare reform. The audit and reforms are part of a broader strategy to ensure that Nigerians, particularly at the grassroots level, have access to quality and affordable healthcare services.