Nigeria renovates 3,526 health centres to strengthen local care

Nigeria has completed renovations at 3,526 primary healthcare centres and handed them over to state and local authorities, according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Work is continuing at another 908 facilities.

Announcing the figures at an October 15 briefing in Abuja, agency chief Dr Muyi Aina said centres were selected for upgrades based on communities’ existing access to care, the distance residents travel for treatment and the availability of other providers.

The improvements go beyond buildings. The agency is prioritising reliable electricity, water and sanitation so clinics can deliver essential services consistently. Solar power is a key part of the programme, and some facilities have solar-powered boreholes to supplement public water supplies.

Aina also reported that more than 78,000 health workers had been retrained. Training for around 23,000 community-based workers is beginning to help extend care to remote communities.

The progress comes with a substantial unfinished task: only 53 per cent of approximately 27,000 centres monitored by the agency meet its standards for functioning facilities. Officials stressed that state and local governments must maintain the renovated centres and ensure services are delivered. The next challenge is turning these infrastructure improvements into dependable everyday care.