The Federal Government has released N32.9 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to bolster primary health care (PHC) services across the country. This marks the third round of disbursements in 2025.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the release on Wednesday in a statement titled “The Red Letter”, urging citizens to take ownership and ensure accountability in the use of the funds.
“This money is not sitting in Abuja,” Prof. Pate stated. “It has already started reaching commercial bank accounts of PHC facilities in every ward across Nigeria. It is your clinic’s money. It is your community’s chance. It is your country’s promise.”
The BHCPF is a critical component of Nigeria’s healthcare system, designed to support basic health services, reinforce PHC delivery, and fund emergency treatment nationwide.
Prof. Pate emphasized that each health facility, in collaboration with its host community, has the power to plan and spend the funds in line with local health priorities.
“The health committee in your ward, your traditional leaders, women’s and youth groups, and faith-based organisations are all expected to come together—decide together, and spend together—to make your facility stronger, safer, and better equipped to serve,” he said.
He called on citizens not to remain passive but to actively engage with local health structures, demand transparency, and ensure the funds are used effectively.
“Too often, communities remain silent. They don’t ask how the money is used or whether it reaches those it was meant for. When that happens, silence becomes a loss,” he warned.
The Red Letter is a national call to action, urging Nigerians to participate in local health governance by engaging with PHCs, reviewing budgets and plans, celebrating progress, and ensuring accountability.
“Each Naira in this N32.9bn is a seed,” Prof. Pate said. “Nurture it with vigilance and pride, and it grows into medicine, safe births, better infrastructure, and lives saved. Neglect it, and it withers into waste.”
“Let this Red Letter reach every community, every ward, and every home. Let it remind us that the health of Nigeria lies in the hands of Nigerians. Together, we plan. Together, we spend. Together, we protect life,” he concluded.