The Federal Government of Nigeria has released ₦32.9 billion to primary health care centres across the country under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), marking the third disbursement of the year.
This announcement was contained in a public message titled “The Red Letter,” issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on Wednesday.
The statement, signed by the Coordinating Minister, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, called on Nigerians to “protect the health of our nation” by taking ownership of how the fund is managed and spent at the community level.
According to the ministry, the money “is not sitting in Abuja. It has already begun its journey into the commercial bank accounts of primary health care facilities in every ward across Nigeria.” It emphasized that the funds belong to the people: “It is your clinic’s money. It is your community’s chance. It is your country’s promise.”
The ministry said each health facility now holds the power to plan and spend with the involvement of the communities it serves. Health committees, traditional rulers, faith-based groups, and youth and women’s organizations are expected to come together to decide on priorities and monitor implementation.
“This fund is the heartbeat of Nigeria’s renewed hope in health,” the statement read. “Government is not only fulfilling its responsibility as the custodian of the fund, but trusting you to help safeguard that spending.”
The minister lamented that in many cases, communities fail to ask questions about how funds are used, warning that such silence leads to waste. “When that happens, silence becomes a loss,” he said.
Prof. Pate urged Nigerians to take an active role in monitoring how the funds are used. “Stand up and take ownership. Go to your health facility. Join the committee. Review the plan. Demand openness. Celebrate progress. And above all, make sure the fund truly protects the health of your people.”
He described every naira of the ₦32.9 billion as “a seed” that can yield better healthcare outcomes if properly managed. “When you nurture it with vigilance and pride, it grows into medicine, safe births, better infrastructure, and lives saved. When you neglect it, it withers into waste,” he warned.
The message ended with a call for collective action: “Together, we plan. Together, we spend. Together, we protect life.”
Prof. Pate reaffirmed that the health of Nigeria rests in the hands of its people, urging every community and ward to see this as a shared responsibility.