Since 2018, the Nigerian government has invested over 110 billion naira, or more than $68.3 million, in primary healthcare, according to the Health Anti-Corruption Project Advisory Committee (HAPAC).
This amount does not include the recent disbursement of 32.9 billion naira (around $22 million) to 13,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) nationwide, which led to the well-known “red letter” from the Minister of Health, Professor Mohammed Pate, calling for increased anticorruption efforts and accountability.
Dr Idris Muhammad, Chairperson of HAPAC, has expressed support for the Minister’s call for greater vigilance in the use of the BHCPF, which aims to enhance primary healthcare delivery and provide health insurance for the poor and vulnerable, among other objectives.
He highlights findings from HAPAC’s investigation into corruption within the BHCPF, including collusion between community monitors and facility officers to divert funds, facility managers using a single receipt to obtain funds from two different gateways, and healthcare staff falsifying community stakeholders’ signatures to access funds without their knowledge.
Professor Obinna Onwujekwe, who convenes HAPAC, stated that corruption issues linked to the BHCPF also involve the state primary healthcare development agencies (SPHCDAs).
He pointed out that evidence shows SPHCDAs’ directing facility managers on how and when to spend their funds, even providing specific bank details for payments. Furthermore, they procure medicines for facilities, which violates BHCPF guidelines, and their procurement processes do not adhere to Nigeria’s procurement regulations.
Following concerns raised by HAPAC’s convenor, Dr Tarry Asoka, Deputy Chairperson of HAPAC has emphasised that facilities must be empowered to report discreetly when SPHCDAs overreach on the BHCPF.
Recommendations from HAPAC to tackle corruption issues in the BHCPF include establishing direct links between health facilities and anti-corruption officials at the health ministry and national anti-corruption agencies.
Other suggestions include scapegoating, providing training and retraining for health workers and managers on procurement guidelines and ethics, and imposing enforceable penalties for violations of BHCPF rules.
Additionally, revamping the central medical stores for centralised medicine purchases could facilitate easier tracking of expenditures, offer transparency in the cost of medicines at facilities, and address concerns about counterfeit and substandard drugs obtained from the open market.
About HAPAC: This is a coalition challenging health sector corruption based on evidence, composed of members from academia, civil society, media, anticorruption agencies, and health practitioners.
