National Health Policy, 2016

The National Health Policy 2016 is the third national health policy since independence (after the 1988 and 2004 policies). It operationalises Section 2 of the National Health Act 2014 — the statute that for the first time gave a Nigerian National Health Policy direct legislative force — and gives effect to the directive principle of state policy in CFRN §17(2)(c) (the State 'shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons'). Its central instrument is the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, financed by a 1% statutory transfer from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and disbursed 50% through the NHIA gateway, 45% through the NPHCDA, and 5% through the Federal Ministry of Health for emergencies. Implementation has been uneven: BHCPF flows began in earnest only in 2019; coverage data published by the NPHCDA and the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Mechanism shows that fewer than half of designated PHCs receive their quarterly allocation on time.