…Lawmakers Approve Amendment to Raise Annual Allocation from 1% to 2% of Revenue Fund
In a landmark move to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system, the Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading, a bill amending the National Health Act, 2014, to raise the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) from one percent to two percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
The amendment, sponsored by Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Harry Banigo Ipalibo Harry, seeks to expand access to affordable and quality healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations, while reducing the country’s heavy reliance on donor funding.
Ipalibo described the bill as both a “legal and moral imperative,” arguing that it would help the government to meet its constitutional obligation to ensure citizens’ welfare and security.
She said, “Section 14(2)(b) of our Constitution makes the security and welfare of the people the primary purpose of government.
“This amendment gives practical meaning to that provision by guaranteeing sustainable funding for basic health services.”
The senator explained that the BHCPF, established under the National Health Act in 2014, remains Nigeria’s first statutory mechanism for sustainable health financing.
However, the existing one percent allocation, she said, has become grossly inadequate given the rising health needs, dwindling donor support, and Nigeria’s transition away from international funding platforms such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Citing the National Health Accounts (2022), Harry revealed that Nigerians still pay over 75 percent of total health costs out of pocket, an unsustainable trend that deepens inequality and drives many households into poverty.
She warned that the recent withdrawal of U.S. support for certain health programmes and the country’s gradual exit from donor platforms could leave Nigeria fully responsible for immunization, maternal, and disease control costs.
“Without an increase in domestic funding, we risk reversing years of progress in child survival, epidemic preparedness, and access to essential care,” she cautioned.
Ipalibo recalled that the National Dialogue on Health Financing, held in September 2025 by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in collaboration with key ministries and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, had reached a broad consensus on the need to double the BHCPF to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
She said, “This proposal reflects national consensus. Health is an investment in productivity and national security, not a cost.”
The lawmaker stressed that Nigeria’s primary healthcare centres (PHCs), which form the backbone of the country’s health system, are in dire need of revitalization due to poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and drug shortages.
Raising the BHCPF to two percent, she argued, would provide the resources needed to strengthen frontline facilities, recruit skilled health workers, and ensure consistent access to essential medicines and services for rural and low-income communities.
Harry assured her colleagues that existing transparency measures governing the Fund would remain intact.
The BHCPF, she noted, will continue to be managed jointly by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the NHIA, with mandatory annual performance reports and audited accounts submitted to the National Assembly.
Describing the bill as a “historic and patriotic investment” in the nation’s future, Harry urged senators to view the measure as a bold step toward building a healthier, more productive society.
She said, “Health is both a right and a constitutional duty of the State. By supporting this bill, we reaffirm our commitment to the welfare of Nigerians and take a decisive step toward achieving Universal Health Coverage.”
Several senators who contributed to the debate commended the bill as a timely and visionary intervention that would help safeguard essential health services, protect vulnerable populations, and reduce the financial burden on citizens.
The bill was unanimously passed for second reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Health for further legislative work.
