The federal government has digitised the management of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in financing primary healthcare across Nigeria, according to Dr. Muyi Ania, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Speaking at the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue in Abuja, Ania said new reforms will digitise accounting down to facility level.
“We have developed a financial management app that all BHCPF-supported facilities will use. That not only allows us to see in real time the state of funds at every level but also enables tracking of where the money is going digitally,” Ania explained.
He added that cash withdrawals have been capped, ending a practice where facilities withdrew up to ₦300,000 in full without immediate accountability. Under the new system, health workers will be paid directly into their accounts, and commodities will be procured via traceable transfers.
Dr. Oritseweyimi Ogbe, Secretary of the BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee, said digitisation will help ensure funds are used strictly for intended purposes. “Money allocated for solar projects should be spent on solar, and funds for equipment should go directly toward equipment,” he stressed.
Ogbe added that transparency measures would strengthen community trust, improve service delivery, and ensure accountability through collaboration with the NHIA and development partners.
Since its inception in 2019, the BHCPF has disbursed over ₦159.2 billion, including ₦45 billion in November 2024 and ₦32.88 billion in March 2025, to strengthen primary healthcare nationwide.
