Federal Government Identifies Over 122,000 Vacant Primary Healthcare Positions Across 26 States
Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its primary healthcare system have come under renewed focus after the Federal Government disclosed that the country is facing a critical shortage of 122,696 healthcare workers across Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in 26 states.
The government said an estimated ₦4.55 billion will be required over the next three years to recruit the health professionals needed to bridge the staffing deficit, improve access to essential healthcare services and strengthen frontline medical delivery across the country.
The disclosure was made on Friday in Abuja during the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee Meeting on National Healthcare Implementation, where government officials and health sector stakeholders reviewed ongoing reforms under Nigeria’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to healthcare financing and service delivery.
The staffing gap, officials said, was uncovered following a nationwide assessment conducted under the SWAp recruitment exercise, which measured staffing levels in Primary Health Care facilities against the country’s minimum staffing standards.
Assessment Reveals Widespread Workforce Shortages
Presenting the findings, the Human Resource for Health and Project Management Lead at the SWAp Coordination Office, Zaiyanatu Umar, explained that the recruitment assessment relied on baseline data submitted by 26 states whose figures had been verified.
The exercise evaluated the number of healthcare professionals currently working in Primary Health Care centres and compared them with the staffing levels required to meet national standards.
According to Umar, the assessment was developed to support implementation of HOPE-GOV 5.2 Disbursement-Linked Indicator (DLI), a key performance benchmark focused on ensuring that qualified healthcare workers are available across Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“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 participating states collectively required 220,755 healthcare workers to adequately staff Primary Health Care facilities.
However, only 98,059 positions are currently occupied, leaving 122,696 vacancies that urgently need to be filled.
The figures reveal that more than half of the workforce required to operate Nigeria’s frontline healthcare facilities is currently unavailable.
More Than Half of Required Positions Remain Vacant
Further analysis presented during the meeting showed that participating states currently average only 7.5 Primary Health Care workers for every 10,000 residents, a figure that highlights the significant pressure facing healthcare workers across many communities.
Officials also disclosed that 55.6 per cent of all required staffing positions remain vacant within the assessed Primary Health Care facilities.
The shortage affects the availability of doctors, nurses, midwives, community health officers and other essential healthcare personnel responsible for delivering basic medical services to millions of Nigerians.
Experts at the meeting noted that Primary Health Care centres serve as the foundation of Nigeria’s healthcare system, providing preventive care, maternal and child health services, immunisation programmes, treatment of common illnesses and referrals to higher-level hospitals.
Insufficient staffing therefore directly affects healthcare access, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
South East Records Highest Staffing Deficit
The regional breakdown of the assessment revealed wide disparities in healthcare workforce availability across the country.
According to Umar, the South East recorded the most severe staffing shortage among the participating regions.
The assessment showed that the zone has a 73 per cent workforce gap, while facilities average only 1.9 Primary Health Care workers per 10,000 population.
She described the situation as particularly concerning because healthcare facilities across the region remain critically understaffed.
“South East facilities are thinly staffed on every available measure, unlike the North where state and LGA payrolls add staff,” she said.
The findings suggest that healthcare workers in many South Eastern communities face significantly heavier workloads due to limited personnel.
North West Also Faces Serious Workforce Challenges
The North West emerged as the second worst-performing region in terms of healthcare staffing.
According to the assessment, the region recorded a 70.9 per cent workforce deficit, with only 5.8 healthcare workers available for every 10,000 residents.
The South West also reported substantial shortages, recording a 59.3 per cent staffing gap.
Meanwhile, the North Central zone recorded a comparatively lower workforce deficit of 49.5 per cent, with an average of eight Primary Health Care workers per 10,000 population.
The South South recorded a 46.8 per cent staffing gap, while the North East posted the lowest shortage among the surveyed regions at 33.9 per cent.
Despite the regional differences, officials stressed that every geopolitical zone continues to experience significant shortages capable of affecting healthcare delivery.
Thirteen States Yet to Be Included
Umar explained that the assessment does not yet present a complete national picture because staffing calculations currently exclude 13 states.
She noted that work is ongoing to finalise the Human Resource for Health Scorecard, which is expected to improve accountability, workforce planning and performance monitoring.
According to her, the Performance Management Task Team is currently completing the scorecard before expanding the assessment nationwide.
Once completed, policymakers are expected to have a more comprehensive understanding of staffing needs across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
HOPE-GOV Programme Driving Recruitment Reforms
The staffing assessment forms part of the implementation framework of the World Bank-supported HOPE-GOV Programme.
The programme rewards states that demonstrate measurable improvements in governance, financial management and public service delivery across both Primary Health Care and basic education.
One of its major performance targets—Disbursement-Linked Indicator 5.2—focuses on recruiting, mapping and deploying essential healthcare workers to underserved communities.
The objective is to improve equitable access to quality healthcare while reducing disparities between urban and rural populations.
Government officials believe that strengthening frontline healthcare facilities remains essential to achieving Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
Emergency Healthcare Funding Expands
During the same oversight meeting, the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee provided updates on emergency healthcare financing across the country.
The committee’s coordinator, Dr Emuren Doubra, disclosed that ₦2.41 billion has been disbursed since 2023 to states and federal tertiary hospitals to support emergency medical treatment interventions.
According to him, the intervention has already benefited more than 130,000 patients nationwide.
He also revealed that the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) disbursed an additional ₦1.49 billion to tertiary health facilities between January 2023 and May 2026.
The funding has supported emergency response services and improved access to life-saving treatment.
Emergency Coverage to Expand Nationwide
Doubra said government priorities for the third quarter include expanding emergency medical operations from the current 32 states to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The expansion is also expected to increase emergency response services across underserved communities.
Additionally, authorities plan to expand the coverage of Rapid Emergency Services and Medical Ambulance Teams from 139 Local Government Areas to 172 Local Government Areas before the end of the year.
The initiative is designed to improve response times during medical emergencies and strengthen access to emergency care nationwide.
Nigeria Adjusts Global Fund Strategy
Also speaking during the meeting, Executive Director of the Country Coordinating Mechanism, Dr Ibrahim Tajudeen, announced that Nigeria has submitted its funding request under the Global Fund Grant Cycle Eight.
He disclosed that Nigeria has been allocated 791.6 million dollars under the new funding cycle, compared with 933.1 million dollars received under Grant Cycle Seven.
According to Tajudeen, the reduction in funding has prompted reforms aimed at improving efficiency, eliminating duplication and strengthening integration across HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes.
He explained that Nigeria has reduced the number of principal grant recipients from seven to five to improve accountability, strengthen coordination and increase government ownership of donor-funded health programmes.
The country also earmarked 42.8 million dollars from disease-specific allocations to strengthen health systems over the next three years.
The investment will support laboratory services, pharmaceutical supply chains, local drug manufacturing, disease surveillance, health financing reforms and community engagement initiatives.
Strengthening Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare System
The meeting reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery through stronger workforce planning, expanded financing and institutional reforms.
Officials noted that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund remains Nigeria’s flagship financing mechanism for expanding access to quality Primary Health Care while advancing Universal Health Coverage.
The Ministerial Oversight Committee, which serves as the highest policy and governance body responsible for supervising the implementation of the fund, reiterated its commitment to ensuring that available resources are used efficiently to improve healthcare outcomes.
With more than 122,000 vacant positions still requiring recruitment, government officials acknowledged that addressing Nigeria’s healthcare workforce shortage remains one of the country’s most urgent health sector priorities.
The proposed ₦4.55 billion investment in recruitment is expected to strengthen frontline healthcare facilities, improve access to essential medical services and support ongoing reforms aimed at building a more resilient and equitable healthcare system capable of meeting the needs of Nigeria’s growing population.
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