The Senate has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will approve the National Health Act Amendment Bill seeking to increase the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, gave the assurance while receiving health sector stakeholders who commended lawmakers for passing the amendment bill. She said the increase is necessary to strengthen primary healthcare services across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and improve access to quality healthcare, especially for vulnerable groups.

According to Banigo, the current one per cent allocation under the 2014 National Health Act is no longer adequate due to Nigeria’s growing population and increasing healthcare demands. She noted that the fund supports primary healthcare centres, immunisation programmes, disease control efforts, and emergency health interventions.

Health stakeholders described the amendment as a major step toward sustainable healthcare financing and universal health coverage, stressing that increased funding would improve frontline healthcare delivery and expand access to medical services in underserved communities.

The bill is currently awaiting concurrence from the House of Representatives before being transmitted to President Tinubu for assent.

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