Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Crisis Deepens As 97% Of PHCs Miss Staffing Benchmark
By HALIMA TAKWAS
Widespread Staffing Shortages
ABOUT 97 per cent of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) assessed across 16 Nigerian states failed to meet the national minimum staffing standard, a new report has revealed.
The finding is contained in the PHC Operational Capability Report produced by Orodata Science, a nonprofit organisation focused on public health, data-driven solutions and health disparities.
The assessment covered 1,480 PHCs across 277 local government areas in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Only three per cent of the facilities met the national minimum staffing requirement.
The report said 11 of the 16 states assessed had no PHC that met the minimum staffing standard.
Rural Communities Bear the Burden
The assessment, conducted between October 2023 and June 2025, examined several factors that determine whether PHCs can provide effective services.
These included staffing, infrastructure, equipment, electricity, water supply and accessibility.
About 75 per cent of the assessed facilities were located in rural communities, where access to quality healthcare is often more limited.
The findings suggest that staffing shortages are occurring alongside other serious operational challenges.
Facilities Struggle With Basic Infrastructure
The report found that 40 per cent of the assessed PHCs had broken ceilings or leaking roofs.
Electricity was also a major challenge. About 38 per cent of the facilities operated without electricity, while 39 per cent relied on unsafe sources of water.
These deficiencies can make it difficult for health workers to provide reliable services, particularly during emergencies and at night.
The report said the problems often occurred together within the same facilities, creating a cumulative effect on healthcare delivery.
Newborn Care Faces Critical Gaps
The assessment also highlighted major weaknesses in maternal and newborn healthcare.
About 75 per cent of the PHCs lacked essential neonatal resuscitation equipment.
Such equipment is critical for emergency interventions when newborns experience breathing difficulties or other complications during childbirth.
The report warned that the absence of essential equipment, combined with shortages of health workers and unreliable infrastructure, could increase risks for patients.
Healthcare Access Remains Unequal
Accessibility for people with disabilities also emerged as a major concern.
The report found that 66 per cent of the assessed PHCs lacked accessibility provisions for persons with disabilities and people with mobility challenges.
Orodata said this showed that many facilities remained difficult to access for vulnerable members of their communities.
The organisation stressed that staffing, infrastructure, equipment, electricity, water and accessibility should not be treated as isolated problems.
Communities Express Dissatisfaction
The challenges are reflected in how communities perceive the services available to them.
About 51 per cent of surveyed community members rated services at their local PHCs as poor.
However, the report noted significant differences between states and facilities.
Kano and Sokoto recorded particularly serious challenges involving unsafe water, inadequate electricity and shortages of essential newborn-care equipment.
Gombe, meanwhile, recorded an 80 per cent rate of PHCs without accessibility provisions.
Orodata Calls for Coordinated Action
Orodata said improving primary healthcare would require more than isolated renovation projects.
It called for coordinated interventions based on verified, facility-level data.
The organisation recommended that states develop clear intervention plans that identify affected facilities, specific problems, responsible institutions, required resources and implementation timelines.
It also called for measurable targets and regular monitoring and evaluation.
More Workers & Better Power Supply
The report urged the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and state PHC agencies to address shortages of frontline health workers.
It recommended recruitment, effective deployment and retention of health workers, especially in underserved communities.
Orodata also called for urgent repairs to damaged roofs and ceilings, safe water supplies and improved electricity.
For facilities without reliable grid electricity, it recommended solar or hybrid power systems.
Focus on Evidence, Not Assumptions
The assessment used the CheckMyPHC Digital Scorecard, which was developed with reference to NPHCDA minimum standards and relevant inclusion requirements.
Researchers physically visited facilities and used direct observation, interviews with health workers and community members, photographs, GPS coordinates and facility records.
Orodata said the exercise was designed not only to document deficiencies but also to provide evidence that could guide implementation, resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation.
The organisation stressed that investment decisions should respond to verified needs.
Ultimately, it said progress should be measured by whether PHCs become safer, better staffed, properly equipped, functional and trusted by the communities they serve.
