By Our Correspondent
National News
Despite billions of naira invested by the Federal Government, state governments and development partners to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, no fewer than 6,516 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the country remain non-functional, limiting access to basic healthcare for millions of Nigerians, especially those in rural communities.
Data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) shows that Katsina State has the highest number of inactive PHCs with 442, followed by Osun (406), Benue (343), Enugu (335), Adamawa (286), Jigawa (282), Delta (278), Yobe (248), Lagos and Ogun with 246 each, Bauchi (229), Edo (221), Rivers (218) and Borno (159).
Other states with significant numbers of inactive facilities include Bayelsa (120), Kwara (87), the Federal Capital Territory (68), Nasarawa (58), Sokoto (45), Oyo (40), Niger (35), Imo (34), Kebbi (32), Cross River (30), Kano (26), Zamfara (23), Plateau (18), Kogi (14) and Akwa Ibom (10).
Health officials, however, say the situation in Borno is more severe than reflected in the national data. The Director of Community and Family Health at the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Mala Wahab, disclosed that 358 PHCs were destroyed during years of Boko Haram insurgency, leaving only 377 operational facilities out of the 735 that existed before the conflict.
According to him, Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration has significantly improved the situation by rebuilding many facilities and recruiting over 1,400 health workers, although manpower shortages persist due to migration of medical personnel.
The NPHCDA data also indicates that Nigeria currently has 3,128 functional Level 2 PHCs, 3,275 revitalised facilities, and 5,141 PHCs supported through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Primary healthcare centres serve as the first point of contact for essential medical services, including immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, childbirth services, treatment of common illnesses, nutrition programmes, disease surveillance and health education. Health experts warn that when these facilities are non-functional, rural residents often travel long distances for treatment or resort to self-medication and unqualified healthcare providers.
Over the years, the Federal Government has implemented several initiatives to strengthen primary healthcare, including the Primary Health Care Revitalisation Programme, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and the PHC Under One Roof policy aimed at improving governance, funding and accountability.
The Tinubu administration has also pledged to upgrade thousands of PHCs nationwide, improve medicine availability, recruit more healthcare workers and expand digital health systems as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
States Highlight Progress
Several state governments disputed suggestions that their PHCs were largely non-functional.
In Kano, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Yusuf, said the state had renovated and equipped 320 primary healthcare centres within the last three years and plans to recruit about 7,000 additional health workers, including nurses and midwives.
Zamfara State also insisted that PHCs across its 14 local government areas remain operational despite insecurity, while acknowledging shortages of health personnel.
Benue State maintained that PHCs are designed to be managed primarily by nurses, midwives and community health workers rather than medical doctors, stressing that most facilities continue to provide essential healthcare services.
Anambra State said it operates 441 PHCs across its 21 local government areas with about 3,000 healthcare workers, while Cross River disclosed that it had recruited more than 2,000 health professionals to strengthen service delivery across its 196 wards.
Experts Call for Deeper Reforms
Public health advocates said renovating buildings alone would not resolve the challenges facing Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
They urged governments to improve funding, strengthen accountability, enhance the welfare of frontline health workers, ensure direct disbursement of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and provide incentives to attract medical personnel to rural communities.
According to the experts, sustainable investments in staffing, equipment, essential medicines, electricity, water supply and security are necessary to make primary healthcare centres fully functional and improve healthcare outcomes nationwide.
