Advisory Support to the Federal Ministry of Health for the Implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF)

Timeline: Juillet 2019 – Juin 2020 | Status: Completed

Federal Capital Territory (Primary), with implementation support across Lagos, Kaduna, Yobe, Abia, Niger, Ekiti, Osun, Delta, Oyo, Adamawa, Kano, Kogi, Enugu, Bauchi and Edo States

Project Overview

The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) is one of Nigeria's most significant health financing reforms, established to increase access to quality primary healthcare services and accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). To support its implementation, the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provided technical advisory support to the Federal Ministry of Health between Juillet 2019 and Juin 2020.

The project focused on strengthening the implementation of the BHCPF by providing strategic, technical, and operational support to federal and state stakeholders. Working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and implementing agencies, HSDF helped facilitate coordination, strengthen implementation processes, and support states in operationalising the Fund.

Although coordinated from the Federal Capital Territory, the project extended technical support across several states, contributing to the effective rollout of one of Nigeria's most important health financing initiatives.

The successful implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund required strong coordination among multiple government institutions, clear operational processes, and consistent technical support to states. Variations in implementation capacity, governance structures, and health financing systems posed challenges to the timely and effective rollout of the Fund.

There was a need for experienced technical partners to support government institutions in translating policy into implementation while ensuring accountability and consistency across participating states.

HSDF worked alongside the Federal Ministry of Health and key stakeholders to strengthen the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund through technical assistance, coordination, and systems strengthening. The project focused on:

Providing strategic advisory support for BHCPF implementation.
Supporting coordination between federal and state stakeholders.
Strengthening implementation processes and operational planning.
Facilitating evidence-informed decision-making throughout programme implementation.
Supporting state-level implementation across participating states.
Promoting accountability and effective use of health financing resources.

While detailed project metrics are not available in the project records, the project successfully:

Supported the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund at the national level.
Strengthened collaboration between federal and state health institutions.
Improved coordination mechanisms for programme implementation.
Provided technical guidance that supported the operationalisation of the BHCPF across participating states.
Contributed to strengthening Nigeria’s health financing architecture in support of primary healthcare and Universal Health Coverage.