The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has announced a significant boost in health sector financing, with the 36 state governors raising allocations to N2.36 trillion, representing 30 percent of their annual budgets.
The announcement was made at the annual Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership event held on Friday night in Abuja.
Speaking through the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaaq highlighted the progressive increase in health sector budgets over the years.
According to him, state allocations rose from N831 billion in 2022 to N927 billion in 2023, N1.4 trillion in 2024, and finally N2.36 trillion in 2025.
AbdulRazaaq emphasised that these funds are being directed toward Primary Health Care, noting observable improvements such as reductions in institutional maternal mortality.
“These investments are beginning to yield tangible results, and we are committed to ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or circumstance, has access to quality PHC services,” he said.
To ensure transparency and accountability, the NGF has introduced a series of scorecards tracking state commitments to health initiatives.
AbdulRazaaq revealed plans to expand the scorecard in 2026 to monitor adherence to the Health Sector Renewal Compact.
He reaffirmed the governors’ commitment to the Seattle Declaration, underscoring that these health sector goals are actionable responsibilities, not mere declarations.
The Executive Secretary of the Primary Health Care Agency, Muyi Aina, lauded the governors for their increased budgetary support.
Aina disclosed that the agency has disbursed over N53 billion to the 36 states and local governments since 2023, including N52.5 billion to 8,309 PHCs.
The first half of 2025 alone saw N14.01 billion distributed, with Q3 disbursements in progress.
Aina outlined the agency’s funding framework, noting a tiered direct funding model of N800,000 and N600,000 per PHC quarterly, based on utilisation.
The agency also expanded the number of PHCs under the Direct Facility Funding (DFF) scheme from 8,309 to 13,521.
Also, the PHC-Financial Management System App has been deployed in seven early adopter states to enhance fund tracking.
The Executive Secretary highlighted the importance of workforce development, reporting that 72,887 frontline health workers have been trained, with 4,119 currently in training across five states, toward a four-year target of 120,000.
These efforts were linked to the Crashing Maternal and Newborn Deaths (MAMII) Initiative, which recorded a 22.5 per cent increase in antenatal care attendance in Q3 2025.
Over 54,000 pregnant women were linked to PHCs, and 16 essential maternal and neonatal health commodities were distributed across 968 PHCs in 10 states, benefiting an estimated 1.2 million women.
The PHC Leadership Challenge also recognised state achievements, with Yobe State emerging as the overall best performer in 2025.
The state received a grand prize of $700,000 for outstanding commitment to primary healthcare services and an additional $500,000 for being the North-east Zonal Best Performing State, bringing its total winnings to $1.2 million.
Other Zonal Best Performing States included Nasarawa (North-central), Zamfara (North-west), Abia (South-east), Rivers (South-south), and Osun (South-west). Runners-up in each zone were Gombe, Kwara, Kaduna, Anambra, Bayelsa, and Ogun states, recognised for their notable contributions to strengthening primary healthcare systems.
