The Federal Government says it has completed or nearly completed the revitalisation of 4,434 Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria as part of efforts to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Muyi Aina, announces the progress during the agency’s quarterly media briefing in Abuja.
Aina explains that the programme follows an assessment that revealed poor conditions in many primary healthcare facilities when the current administration began implementing its health sector reforms.
He says the government subsequently launched an ambitious programme to improve the readiness of these facilities to deliver essential medical services to Nigerians.
According to the agency’s chief executive, 3,526 healthcare centres have been renovated, commissioned and handed over to state governments and local government councils.
Work is continuing at another 908 facilities, which are either undergoing refurbishment or approaching completion.
The initiative covers all 36 states and almost every local government area, with the government saying the distribution is designed to improve access to healthcare across different communities.
Aina says the agency considers several factors when selecting facilities for intervention, including existing access to healthcare, the availability of alternative providers, distances residents must travel and other available medical services.
The approach aims to ensure that communities with limited healthcare options are not left behind.
The government is also pursuing a broader plan to strengthen primary healthcare delivery nationwide.
Under the plan, the agency is targeting at least one Level-Two Primary Healthcare Centre in every ward, alongside 8,800 Level-One facilities across the country.
The expansion is intended to bring essential medical services closer to Nigerians, particularly people living in rural and underserved communities.
Primary Healthcare Centres play an important role in providing basic medical services, including maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, health education, preventive care and the early identification of illnesses.
Well-equipped facilities can also help reduce the pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals by providing treatment for common health conditions at the community level.
However, the impact of the revitalisation programme will depend not only on renovated buildings but also on the availability of qualified health workers, essential medicines, reliable electricity, functional equipment and adequate funding for daily operations.
Mediaplusng.com reports that the government’s latest announcement highlights ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system and expand access to medical services.
As work continues at the remaining facilities, effective management, regular maintenance and consistent service delivery will be crucial to ensuring that the revitalised centres provide lasting benefits to communities nationwide.
