The Nigerian Senate advanced a bill to amend the National Health Act, doubling the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from one to two percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Sponsored by Senator Ipalibo Harry, it aims to boost primary healthcare, reduce out-of-pocket spending, and ensure sustainable domestic health financing.
The Nigerian Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to raise the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) from one percent to two percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Sponsored by Senator Ipalibo Harry, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, the proposed amendment aims to ensure sustainable domestic financing for essential health services and reduce Nigerians’ reliance on volatile donor funding. Senator Harry described the amendment as a constitutional and moral obligation, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution, which defines citizens’ welfare as the primary purpose of government. She explained that the BHCPF, initiated under Section 11 of the Act, was established to guarantee a minimum package of care, particularly for underserved populations, but the existing one percent allocation has become inadequate amid rising healthcare costs and shrinking donor support.
Citing the 2022 National Health Accounts, she revealed that out-of-pocket payments account for 75 percent of Nigeria’s total health expenditure, an unsustainable situation worsened by the country’s gradual exit from Gavi and reduced U.S. health aid. The proposed increase, she argued, would help sustain immunisation, maternal health, and epidemic preparedness programmes, preventing backsliding in public health gains. The bill reflects consensus reached at the 2025 National Dialogue on Health Financing, where stakeholders agreed that “health is an investment, not a cost.” If passed, it would revitalize primary healthcare centres, improve staffing and infrastructure, and strengthen accountability frameworks through continued joint management by the NPHCDA and NHIA. The bill now proceeds to the Senate Committee on Health for review.
