Despite billions spent, over 6,500 PHCs still non-functional

Despite substantial federal and state government investments totaling billions of naira aimed at revitalizing Nigeria's primary healthcare system, at least 6,516 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the nation remain non-functional. This situation severely limits access to basic medical services for millions, particularly in rural communities.

An analysis of data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) reveals that Katsina State leads with 442 inactive facilities, followed by Osun State with 406. The crisis is particularly acute in Borno State, where hundreds of PHCs destroyed by insurgency are yet to be rebuilt, potentially making the situation worse than national data indicates.

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Before insurgency, we had 735. Insurgency destroyed a lot of primary healthcare facilities.

While the NPHCDA dashboard lists 159 non-functional PHCs in Borno, state officials report that 358 facilities were destroyed by Boko Haram. Before the insurgency, Borno had 735 PHCs; now, only 377 are operational, though Governor Babagana Zulum's administration has increased this number from fewer than 100. Three more PHCs are nearing completion.

Beyond infrastructure issues, chronic shortages of healthcare workers, ongoing insecurity, inadequate funding, and poor maintenance practices continue to undermine revitalization efforts. These factors collectively contribute to the widespread failure of PHCs to provide essential services, exacerbating health challenges for a significant portion of the Nigerian population.

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Before Zulum assumed office, we had less than 100 primary healthcare centres, but now we have 377.