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The AdvoKC Foundation has called on the House of Representatives to accelerate work on a proposed amendment to the National Health Act, warning that further legislative delays could prevent the reform from being reflected in Nigeria’s 2027 budget.
The proposed legislation seeks to increase the statutory allocation to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), a funding mechanism established to support essential medical services, primary healthcare facilities and access to treatment for vulnerable Nigerians.
Although the Senate approved the bill on April 23, 2026, the foundation said the House of Representatives had yet to complete the required legislative process.
In a statement signed by its Communications Manager, Luqman Adamu, the organisation urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and other House leaders to prioritise the proposal before the next legislative recess.
AdvoKC Project Director, Habib Sheidu, said lawmakers needed to demonstrate urgency by scheduling the bill for consideration, ensuring the relevant committee submits its report and providing a clear timeline for completing the process.
He warned that communities dependent on primary healthcare centres could continue to face difficulties if efforts to strengthen funding for essential medical services were delayed.
The foundation explained that the existing fund supports health insurance coverage, essential medicines, primary healthcare delivery and emergency medical services. It argued that increasing the allocation would provide a more reliable financial base for facilities serving millions of Nigerians.
To highlight the challenges facing the system, the organisation cited figures from a Federal Ministry of Health response to a Freedom of Information request, which indicated that ₦32.88bn was disbursed through the fund during the first half of 2025.
The same records reportedly identified 1,164 beneficiary facilities as only partially functional, raising concerns about the effectiveness of healthcare delivery and the need for sustained investment.
However, the foundation stressed that a higher statutory allocation would not automatically resolve the sector’s challenges without timely budgetary provisions, release of approved funds and proper accountability in their utilisation.
It also recalled that concerns about the implementation of the fund had previously been raised in the House of Representatives through a motion listed on the order paper on October 18, 2023.
AdvoKC urged lawmakers to complete their part of the legislative process and advance the bill towards presidential assent and implementation, stressing that stronger financial support for primary healthcare was necessary to improve access to essential services across the country.
