Hannatu Yakubu went into labour at night and made a 40-minute motorcycle ride to reach care. That ride is the real picture of Nigeria’s primary healthcare gap.
BusinessDay visited facilities and found the basics missing. At Alayita PHC, only seven staff are on the payroll and about 80 percent of workers are volunteers. The last recruitment was in 2008. At Piwoyi PHC, there is no electricity, water or security, so staff work with lanterns and torches. Without steady power, the cold chain for vaccines is compromised.
Small failures compound. Fatima Usman registered at two facilities because one has a leaking roof. When an emergency needs an ambulance, delays of over two hours were reported, with requests going through WhatsApp .
The numbers, with a warningThe report cites a maternal mortality rate above 3,000 per 100,000 in Kano, where 40 percent of 484 PHCs need rehabilitation. Plateau says it cut its rate from 900 to 500 after reviving 80 PHCs. These are state figures cited by the outlet. National estimates differ widely, with 576 and 1,047 per 100,000 both in circulation, so treat state numbers as indicators, not settled facts.
What is being done
Kano plans 400-plus rehabilitations from 2027, with solar power. The NPHCDA target is four skilled birth attendants per PHC, and Health Minister Pate announced N45bn in BHCPF disbursement. Promises are not clinics, so watch delivery.
What You Can Do
- Book antenatal care early and ask the clinic about power, staffing and referral plans.
- Plan your emergency route before labour: transport, money, and a hospital with a theatre.
- Save the nearest facility’s number and an ambulance contact. Do not rely on one channel.
- Ask your LGA and state officials which PHCs are scheduled for rehabilitation.
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