Grassroots healthcare services are set to improve significantly as the federal and state governments commence the revitalisation of 17,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) nationwide.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, announced during the ministerial sectoral briefing marking President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office that N260 billion has been earmarked at the state level for this initiative.

Prof. Pate outlined the government’s plan to fully revive 8,300 PHCs across the country while expanding and upgrading 17,000 centres over the next three years, ensuring better access to healthcare services for millions of Nigerians.

He stated that the PHCs revitalisation would be done through the IDA financing and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), adding that the federal government was providing guidelines to assist the states in the implementation of the revitalisation projects to ensure that the resources are used prudently for the intended purposes.

A nationwide investigation by LEADERSHIP Sunday revealed that the project has begun in several states of the federation while some were yet to take off.

In Gombe State, the commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, said the revitalisation of the PHCs had started in the state.

Dahiru said the State Executive Council (SEC) approved the revitalisation of 66 health centres in 11 councils.

“Similarly, 82 PHCs have been identified for upgrade to level 2 PHCs under the Renewed Hope Project. Other PHC revitalisation projects will also come through constituency project of National Assembly members,” he said.

In Ekiti State, the commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said the process of reviving the PHCs by the federal government had started.

He said the process is divided into three: the provision of funds to the facilities to do basic things, mobilisation of resources for the renovation facilities through the support of partners, and training of health workers.

Filani told LEADERSHIP Sunday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, that the federal government plans to train 120,000 health workers across the country and 40,000 of them have been trained so far.

He said, “In Ekiti, the federal government has trained some health workers. They gave us the green light to commence some of the renovation works with the partners, that is ongoing right now. I am very sure a lot would have been done later this year or early next year and we are working very closely with them.

“Already, they are giving all PHC facilities, over 7,000 of them across the country, N100,000 every month. There is a plan to increase the money but they are still working on the back stories that will make the increment effective and sustainable.”

In Kebbi State, 13 PHCs were approved by the federal government in collaboration with the state government for revitalisation.

This was confirmed to our correspondent in Birnin Kebbi by the executive secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Abubakar Muhammed.

He said one of them is in Birnin Kebbi LGA, Jega (1), Koko/Besse (1), Argungu (1), Ngaski (1), Kalgo (1), one each in Zuru, Yauri, Fakai, Bagudo, Arewa and Augie LGAs.

He said work would soon commence in the PHCs in the designated councils.

While confirming the development, the chairman of Birnin Kebbi LGA, Dahiru Nayaya Ambursa, said the project had been communicated to his office by both federal and state governments.

In Plateau State, the commissioner for Health, Dr Cletus Shurkut, did not speak on the level of the state government’s involvement in the project as he did not pick calls nor responded to text messages sent to his mobile phone by our correspondent.

But a source at the Ministry of Health revealed that the state government had commenced the renovation and equipping of over 300 health centres, 17 general and cottage hospitals in all the 17 LGAs for quality healthcare delivery.

The official who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the matter hinted that the current administration was poised to ensure that its citizens, especially those at the grassroots, had access to qualitative healthcare services.

He said the state government had put very stringent measures on ground to tackle lapses in all healthcare facilities in the state, from infrastructure and equipment to human resources.

Following the federal government’s support, the Kwara State government has invited bids for the upgrading of 103 selected PHCs across the state.

The project includes the upgrading of 20 PHCs in Baruten, Edu and Patigi LGAs; 20 others in Ekiti, Offa, Oyun and Oke Ero LGAs, and 23 health centres in Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin LGAs.

Another set of 20 PHCs in Moro, Kaiama and Ilorin East LGAs as well as 20 PHCs in Asa, Ilorin South and Ilorin West LGAs will also benefit from the scheme.

The executive secretary of Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu, confirmed the plan to upgrade the 103 PHCs to our correspondent.

The Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency had announced that, “The Federal Government of Nigeria, on behalf of the Kwara State government has received a credit from the World Bank towards the cost of improving the utilisation and quality of immunisation plus and malaria services in selected states of the federation and intends to apply part of the proceeds towards the payments for the upgrading of 103 selected Public Health Centres (PHCs) in Kwara State.

“Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who chooses to attend by 10am on November 18, 2024.”

In Kano, the project is yet to fully commence but the state commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, said it had identified 18 centres across the three senatorial zones to serve as the pilot PHCs.

“We intend to upgrade and renovate all our PHCs. We are starting very soon with 18 of them and by God’s grace within next year, we are going to expand to other PHC facilities.

“In four years eventually, we intend to ensure that one PHC facility in every of the 484 wards in the state benefits and is being renovated and standardised with minimum package,” he said.

In Ogun State, the project has started with the Ministry of Health placing an advertisement for qualified bidders to express interest in its execution.

The state’s commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abeokuta, the state capital confirmed that her ministry was involved in the planning process, stressing that execution of the project proper would commence in January 2025.

Coker added that the PHCs to be rehabilitated were in the three senatorial districts of Ogun East, Central and the West.

Although the executive director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Muyi Aina, pledged the agency’s commitment to strengthening partnership with the Enugu State government last month, our investigation revealed that the state government is building 260-type 2 primary healthcare centres across the state.

This was disclosed by Governor Peter Mbah when he received in audience the former minister of state for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa (now education minister), who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Enugu.

In Imo State, the project is yet to take off.

The commissioner for Health, Dr Damaris Osunkwo, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that they were in touch with the federal government to realise this dream.

She said the necessary mechanism had been put in place by the state government to collaborate with the federal government for a seamless take off of the project.

In Akwa Ibom, the state government says it’s paying a premium to healthcare under the ARISE Agenda blueprint.

The governor has continued to reiterate that healthcare remains one of the key components of his policies and programmes.

According to him, the issue of good health for the over 7.2 million population had continued to compel his administration’s commitment to massive investment in the health sector with the ongoing reconstruction of PHCs in the 31 councils.

On the federal government’s involvement in the project, the commissioner for Health, Prof Augustine Umoh, could not be reached, but in a WhatsApp chat, he said he was attending a meeting, saying “let’s talk later,” which he never did at the time of filing this report.

But the commissioner for Information, Comrade Iniobong Ememobong, said, “I am not aware of any federal government’s involvement in the project. Regarding the federal government partnership, there’s none that I am aware of.”