A recent national health facility survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted significant challenges in Nigeria's primary healthcare system, with only 34 percent of essential drugs available in primary health facilities (PHFs).

The comprehensive 2023 report, released on Wednesday, uncovered multiple critical gaps in healthcare infrastructure and service delivery. Key findings include:

Drug and Medical Equipment Availability:

- Only 34.3% of essential drugs were available in primary health facilities

- 50.6% of essential drugs were available in secondary health facilities

- Just 29.9% of public primary facilities have functional basic medical equipment

- Regional disparities exist, with the North-West recording the lowest equipment availability at 20.9% and the South-West the highest at 48.8%

Healthcare Provider Training and Knowledge:

- Merely 39.4% of primary health facility providers received integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) training

- Health providers demonstrated varying levels of disease management knowledge:

  - Malaria: 80.3% adequate knowledge

  - Diarrhoea: 51.7% adequate knowledge

  - Pneumonia: 41.0% adequate knowledge

Family Planning Services:

- Limited availability of family planning resources:

  - 18.5% of facilities have Family Planning pills

  - 19.5% have injectable contraceptives

  - 20.5% provide male condoms

  - 17.8% offer implants/IUDs

- The South-East zone reported the highest availability of family planning consumables

Financial Management Challenges:

- Only 34.5% of health facilities maintained expenditure records

- 25.8% had up-to-date financial records

- 30.6% of public health facilities displayed service fees visibly

- Just 21.1% of facilities had records reconciling with actual cash on hand

The survey underscores the urgent need for improved healthcare infrastructure, provider training, and financial management in Nigeria's public health system.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​