More than 6,500 primary healthcare centres remain out of service
Thousands of non-functional health centres are limiting access to basic healthcare, especially in rural communities where they are often the only medical facility available.
Millions of Nigerians continue to face limited access to basic healthcare as at least 6,516 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the country remain non-functional.
Data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) show that Katsina has the highest number of inactive PHCs, with 442 facilities, followed by Osun with 406, Benue with 343, Enugu with 335, Adamawa with 286, and Jigawa with 282. Delta, Yobe, Lagos, Ogun, Bauchi, Edo, Rivers and several other states also recorded significant numbers of inactive centres.
The figures underscore the continuing challenges facing primary healthcare across Nigeria, where shortages of health workers, insecurity, inadequate funding and poor maintenance have left many facilities unable to provide essential medical services.
The situation appears even more severe in Borno State. Although the national dashboard lists 159 non-functional PHCs, health officials in the state say the true picture is far worse. According to the Director of Community and Family Health at the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr Mala Wahab, 358 primary healthcare centres remain destroyed after years of Boko Haram insurgency. Of the 735 PHCs that existed before the conflict, only 377 are currently operational, with three more nearing completion.
According to the NPHCDA dashboard, Nigeria currently has 3,128 functional Level 2 PHCs, 3,275 revitalised facilities and 5,141 centres supported through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. However, the figures also reveal a widening gap between infrastructure improvements and the availability of fully functional healthcare services at the grassroots.
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Primary healthcare centres are regarded as the foundation of every healthcare system because they provide the first level of care for millions of people. They offer routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendance, family planning services, treatment for malaria and common childhood illnesses, nutrition support, tuberculosis and HIV screening, disease surveillance and referral services.
For many rural communities, they remain the first and sometimes only point of contact with the healthcare system.
Health experts warn that when these facilities are not functioning, residents are often forced to travel long distances to secondary or tertiary hospitals, delay seeking treatment, rely on unqualified healthcare providers or resort to self-medication. Such delays can contribute to poorer health outcomes, particularly for pregnant women, children under five and people living with chronic illnesses.
The report also shows that while some states have made progress in rehabilitating facilities and recruiting additional health workers, staffing shortages remain a major challenge in many parts of the country. In some areas, volunteer nurses and community health workers are helping to keep services running as health systems struggle with the effects of workforce shortages and migration of skilled professionals.
Health advocates say restoring primary healthcare requires more than renovating buildings. They argue that sustained investment in qualified health workers, essential medicines, equipment, electricity, water supply and stronger accountability will be critical to ensuring that primary healthcare centres can provide the services millions of Nigerians depend on every day.
