LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal Government has revealed that it needs an estimated N4.55 billion to recruit 122,696 health workers to fill vacant positions in Primary Health Care (PHC) centres across 26 states, describing the move as critical to improving access to quality healthcare nationwide.
The Human Resource for Health and Project Management Lead at the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office, Zaiyanatu Umar, disclosed this during the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting on national healthcare implementation in Abuja.
According to Umar, the estimate followed an assessment of staffing data submitted by 26 verified states under the World Bank-supported HOPE-GOV Programme, which rewards improvements in governance and healthcare service delivery.
“The baseline data received from SWAp was based on the recruitment tool that was developed. This was majorly to push forth on the HOPE-GOV 5.2 Disbursement-Linked Indicator (DLI), which spoke around ensuring quality healthcare workforce and availability across the different levels,” she said.
The assessment found that while 220,755 health workers are required across participating states, only 98,059 positions are currently filled, leaving 122,696 vacancies.
On average, the states have just 7.5 PHC workers for every 10,000 people, with 55.6 percent of required positions remaining vacant.
Umar noted that the South East recorded the worst staffing shortage, with a 73 percent workforce gap and only 1.9 PHC workers per 10,000 population.
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The North West followed with a 70.9 percent deficit, while the South West recorded a 59.3 percent shortfall.
“South East facilities are thinly staffed on every available measure, unlike the North where state and LGA payrolls add staff,” she said, adding that workforce calculations excluded 13 states while a national Human Resource for Health scorecard is being finalized.
Notably, the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee Coordinator, Dr Emuren Doubra, disclosed that N2.41 billion has been released since 2023 to support emergency medical treatment, benefiting more than 130,000 patients.
He added that the government plans to expand emergency medical operations to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while increasing ambulance coverage from 139 to 172 local government areas before the end of the year.
Similarly, Executive Director of the Country Coordinating Mechanism, Dr Ibrahim Tajudeen, stated that Nigeria has submitted its Global Fund Grant Cycle Eight funding request despite a reduction in allocation from 933.1 million dollars to 791.6 million dollars.
He explained that the lower funding has prompted reforms aimed at improving efficiency, strengthening government ownership, expanding health insurance, boosting local drug production, and integrating HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes.
Ultimately, the newest figures highlights the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare workforce, with officials insisting that addressing staffing shortages remains essential to improving healthcare access and achieving universal health coverage nationwide.
