FG Begins Rollout of New BHCPF 2.0 Guidelines implementation in North-West Zone
By Idris Umar, Zaria
The Secretary of the Ministry of Health Oversight Committee (MOC) on BHCPF, Dr. Oreshoremi Ogbe, made this known in Zaria during a meeting organized to build capacity and understanding about the program.
He said the new system, which has been approved by the Minister of Health, was designed to improve how the program is implemented, promote transparency, and ensure accountability in the management of the Fund.
Dr. Ogbe explained lthat the SOCs, which are led by the State Commissioners for Health, include representatives from state health agencies, state ministries of finance, and development partners.
“We are here to listen to the SOCs, understand the challenges they face, and find solutions together so that these reforms can truly benefit the public,” he said.
He added that the Federal Government is working to solve some of the problems identified in the region, including weak collaboration among agencies, low awareness at the local government level, and inadequate accounting and tracking systems.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Office, Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, who was represented by Dr. Halil Jabiri, said that BHCPF 2.0 shows the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to strengthening the health financing system.
He noted that the 2023 BHCPF report revealed issues of poor accountability in the use of funds, which makes stricter monitoring necessary.
“This report is a call for all of us to act — every kobo must be accounted for and must reach its intended purpose,” he said, adding that the MOC will continue to receive technical support.
In his contribution, the Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr. Shehu Sambo, said that the BHCPF has brought a major transformation in the health sector, helping states to strengthen their systems and gain more support.
He explained that the success of BHCPF 1.0 led to the introduction of version 2.0, which will bring more funding and opportunities for healthcare at both the state and local government levels.
“We will make sure we follow all the guidelines so that the money meant for BHCPF reaches the grassroots and benefits the ordinary people,” he said.
On his part, the Acting Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Katsina State, Malam Rabo Tambaya, said that ALGON in the North-West will give full support to improving cooperation between SOCs and ALGON.
He also promised to increase public awareness at the local government level so that more people can register and benefit from the BHCPF program.
The meeting ended peacefully.
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