The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has announced that Nigeria is making significant strides in expanding access to quality healthcare services, particularly through strengthened Primary Health Care (PHC) systems.
Speaking during the Sector-Wide Approach State Strategic Engagement held in Abuja with stakeholders from the North Central and South West regions, Pate revealed that PHC centres across the country now record approximately 80 million visits annually, reflecting the impact of ongoing reforms.
The minister praised efforts by state governments, acknowledging progress in critical areas such as skilled birth attendance, antenatal care, and data reporting, despite lingering challenges. “In some areas, the performance is marginal, but we’re also learning from each other,” Pate said. “Just to put it in context, every quarter, about 20 million contacts are made through the revamped primary health care system.”
He emphasized that while transforming the health sector remains a long-term effort, the current administration, along with many states, has made deliberate and strategic investments over the past two years to lay a stronger foundation.
Muntaqa Umar Sadiq, National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Coordination Office, explained that the performance dialogue with states focused on reviewing core health indicators, allowing states to assess their progress and identify opportunities for collaborative action.
He noted that region-specific challenges across the six geopolitical zones have been identified, and tailored support is being provided to enhance the capacity of states to improve outcomes, especially for women and children.
