The Bill Gates Foundation said it has invested the sum of $27 million in Nigeria’s primary health care in the last four years. Also, Nigeria’s 36 state governors have promised to dedicate 30 percent of their annual budget to upgrade primary health care services in their states.
Deputy Director, Health Systems Strengthening at the Gates Foundation, Dr. Nkata Chuku, who disclosed this at the 2025 Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge Awards Night in Abuja on Friday, said the foundation is fully committed to revitalising primary health care in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the 2025 health surveys show that between July 2024 and October this year, “more than 500,000 previously zerodose children were reached with vaccines through house-to-house outreach and targeted immunization activities.”
According to him, this represents about 24 percent of the estimated 2.1 million zero-dose children nationwide. Dr. Chuku further disclosed that the use of modern contraception in family planning has grown by an estimated 10 percent in 2025, with close to half of women of reproductive age now using modern methods, due to task-shifting and increased domestic financing for supplies.
He, however, expressed fears that “pockets of (polio) virus circulation persist in Sokoto, Zamfara, Taraba, Katsina, Bauchi, and Borno, with 123 cases detected across 45 LGAs in the latest cycle.
“These pockets underscore the need to maintain momentum in outbreak response and protect hard won gains in eradication.” Dr. Chuku disclosed that 70 percent of the $27 million the Gates Foundation invested in primary health care in Nigeria is dedicated to performance awards over the past four years.
He stated that “the current award structure of one national winner and additional awards for the best and second runners up states across all six geopolitical zones is intentional,” adding that it is to reflect peer accountability and healthy competition.
The deputy director added that the state governors’ endorsement of the Seattle Declaration demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to health reforms.
