The Federal Government has announced that it has achieved all 41 performance commitments set for Nigeria’s health sector under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with 3,526 primary healthcare centres revitalised across the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, during the third Nigeria Health Sector Joint Annual Review in Abuja.
Pate said the achievements reflected ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, expanding access to essential medical services and reducing the financial burden of illness on Nigerians.
He explained that work was ongoing on an additional 900 primary healthcare facilities, while 19,758 skilled birth attendants had been recruited across 22 states. The government had also trained 78,054 frontline health workers and recruited 4,747 community health workers across 10 states.
On health insurance, the minister said coverage had increased from approximately 16 million Nigerians at the beginning of the administration to nearly 24 million, representing an additional eight million people enrolled in health insurance schemes.
He also disclosed that cumulative releases under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund had reached ₦422.3 billion as of October 2026, with ₦249.5 billion disbursed under the current administration to support healthcare delivery.
Addressing maternal and newborn healthcare, Pate said the number of skilled deliveries recorded at facilities supported by the fund increased from 4.8 million in 2023 to 7.9 million by the second quarter of 2026. Antenatal care visits also rose from six million to 8.7 million within the same period.
He added that the government’s free emergency obstetric care programme had provided nearly 100,000 services in two years, including 80,906 Caesarean sections and 6,059 vesicovaginal fistula repairs.
According to the minister, maternal case fatality in areas covered by the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative declined by approximately 60 per cent between 2024 and 2026.
The government also reported progress in reducing the cost of treating critical illnesses. Pate said dialysis costs had been reduced by up to 80 per cent for 5,106 patients, while more than 15,000 Nigerians had benefited from the free 48-hour emergency medical care programme.
On local pharmaceutical production, he disclosed that 10 factories and manufacturing lines had been commissioned, six of them in 2026, as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported medicines and medical supplies.
Despite the reported progress, Pate acknowledged that challenges remained in the health sector. He noted that stunting had increased slightly, while patient satisfaction with healthcare services declined from 76 per cent in 2024 to 71 per cent in 2026.
The minister said the government recognised the need to address concerns surrounding healthcare affordability and the quality of services received by patients.
He also identified inadequate health financing, unequal distribution of medical personnel and weaknesses in specialist healthcare services as areas requiring further attention.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, said the government was targeting at least 90 per cent functional primary healthcare centres by 2031 and 40 per cent health insurance coverage.
He stressed the importance of translating government policies and investments into measurable improvements in the quality of healthcare available to Nigerians.
The three-day annual review, holding from November 10 to 12, brought together government officials, healthcare professionals, development partners and other stakeholders to assess progress, identify gaps and establish priorities for the coming years.
The Federal Government said sustained cooperation among federal, state and local governments would be essential to maintaining the reported gains and improving healthcare delivery nationwide.
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