The House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services has commended the Kogi government’s efforts to revitalise and reposition primary healthcare.

The committee, led by chairman Amos Magaji, gave the commendation on Monday in Lokoja during an oversight visit to the state.

During the visit, the committee inspected newly constructed and upgraded primary healthcare centres across Kogi. According to Mr Magaji, the oversight is aimed at evaluating the utilisation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

Mr Magaji stressed the federal government’s commitment to improving quality healthcare delivery, particularly at the grassroots level. He noted that the BHCPF is a vital initiative aimed at expanding access to primary healthcare, particularly for low-income and vulnerable Nigerians.

Mr Magaji applauded the governor for introducing a one-year upfront insurance policy for citizens, promoting Universal Health Coverage. He also commended improvements in Kogi’s annual health budget but observed that it still falls below the Abuja Declaration benchmark of 15 per cent.

He urged the government to increase its health allocation and ensure timely fund releases to support the sector. Mr Magaji further recommended employing more healthcare workers as permanent staff to strengthen human resource capacity.

He also called for sustained counterpart funding for healthcare programmes and judicious utilisation of the BHCPF for designated purposes.

Mr Magaji expressed condolences to the governor on the death of his father.

Deputy Governor Joel Salifu, who received the team on behalf of Governor Ahmed Ododo, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery. He commended President Bola Tinubu for his support and commitment to the people of Kogi.

Mr Salifu assured the committee of the state’s full cooperation to enable them to discharge their duties effectively. He stressed that the oversight visit demonstrated joint commitment by the federal and state governments to improving healthcare delivery in Kogi.

Earlier, health commissioner Adeiza Abdulazeez said the government had upgraded PHCs statewide, improving access to healthcare services.

Mr Abdulazeez noted that the governor had approved counterpart funding worth over one billion naira for healthcare programmes in the state. He reiterated the government’s resolve to strengthen human resources by employing more health workers.

“Under Governor Ododo’s leadership, the state is prioritising healthcare, with major investments in primary healthcare for citizens’ benefit,” he said.

Musa Mu’azu, executive director of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, reaffirmed commitment to strengthening service delivery. He stressed the importance of accountability, community participation, and expanding quality healthcare access.

The oversight visit featured technical presentations on the three BHCPF Gateways: NPHCDA, Health Insurance, and NCDC/Public Health Emergency.

Presenting on NPHCDA, Bola Jonah, the SWAp desk officer, highlighted infrastructure upgrades, drug supply, and strengthened PHC service delivery.

Adekunle Aledare, executive secretary of the State Health Insurance Agency, explained the one-year upfront insurance policy that drives Universal Health Coverage. Austin Ojotule, epidemiologist, outlined preparedness for disease surveillance and public health emergencies under the NCDC/Public Health Emergency Gateway.

(NAN)