NPHCDA Completes Renovation of 3,526 Primary Healthcare Centres

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it has completed the renovation, commissioning and handover of 3,526 primary healthcare centres across Nigeria, while work continues at another 908 facilities.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Dr Muyi Aina, disclosed this during a quarterly media briefing organised in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority.

Aina said the agency had completed or was nearing completion of the refurbishment and revitalisation of 4,434 primary healthcare facilities across the states and almost every local government area in the country.

He acknowledged, however, that significant gaps remained, noting that only 53 per cent of approximately 27,000 primary healthcare centres being monitored were functional at Level One or Level Two.

He said the agency was targeting at least one Level Two facility in every political ward, alongside approximately 8,900 Level One centres nationwide.

According to him, the number of Level Two primary healthcare centres had increased by more than 59 per cent since the agency began tracking progress in March 2024.

Aina said the revitalisation programme was guided by an equity-based approach that considers existing access to healthcare, the availability of alternative service providers and the distance residents must travel to obtain medical attention.

He added that the agency was prioritising essential amenities, including reliable electricity, water and sanitation, to ensure that renovated facilities could provide dependable services.

Solar power installations are a key component of the programme, particularly for Level Two facilities, while some centres are also being equipped with solar-powered boreholes to improve water supply.

On healthcare personnel, Aina said more than 78,000 frontline health workers had been retrained out of the 120,000 targeted under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He added that the agency was beginning the retraining of about 23,000 community-based health workers to complement facility-based staff and extend services to remote communities.

The programme is intended to help residents, particularly those in underserved areas, obtain timely medical attention, including emergency care.

Aina also said the agency was promoting a digital platform that allows Nigerians to locate nearby healthcare facilities and check the services available, with the aim of strengthening transparency and accountability in primary healthcare delivery.

The revitalisation drive forms part of the Federal Government’s Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which seeks to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare and strengthen the country’s primary healthcare system.

The strategy includes infrastructure upgrades, improved staffing, the provision of essential medicines and equipment, and expanded services at ward level.

The Basic Health Care Provision Fund, established under the National Health Act of 2014, also supports access to essential healthcare, particularly for poor and vulnerable Nigerians. Its objectives include having 17,600 fully functional primary healthcare facilities, with at least one in every political ward, by 2027.

Despite the reported progress, challenges remain in ensuring that renovated facilities are adequately staffed, equipped and maintained to provide consistent services.