Nigeria’s primary healthcare system is facing widespread operational challenges, with a new assessment showing that only three per cent of 1,480 primary healthcare centres evaluated across 16 states met the national minimum staffing requirement.
The assessment by Orodata Science also revealed major deficiencies in infrastructure, electricity, water supply, medical equipment and accessibility across the facilities.
The findings were contained in the organisation’s PHC Operational Capability Report, based on assessments conducted between October 2023 and June 2025 across 277 local government areas and Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to the report, 11 of the 16 states assessed had no primary healthcare centre that met the minimum staffing standard, highlighting the severity of health-worker shortages, particularly in underserved communities.
Beyond staffing, the assessment found that 40 per cent of the facilities had damaged ceilings or leaking roofs, while 38 per cent operated without electricity.
Another 39 per cent reportedly depended on unsafe water sources, raising concerns about the ability of some PHCs to provide safe and effective healthcare services.
Maternal and newborn care was also identified as a major area of concern, with 75 per cent of the assessed facilities lacking essential neonatal resuscitation equipment needed during emergencies involving newborns.
The report further revealed that 66 per cent of the facilities lacked accessibility provisions for persons with disabilities and people with mobility challenges.
With about 75 per cent of the assessed facilities located in rural communities, the findings suggest that some of the most underserved populations may be facing multiple barriers to accessing quality basic healthcare.
Community perception also reflected the challenges, as 51 per cent of surveyed residents rated services at their local PHCs as poor.
Orodata said the problems were often interconnected, with inadequate staffing, poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity, unsafe water and insufficient equipment occurring within the same facilities.
The organisation urged government authorities to move beyond isolated renovation projects and adopt facility-specific intervention plans based on verified needs.
It recommended urgent repairs, improved water and electricity supply, the deployment and retention of health workers in underserved areas, and the provision of essential newborn-care equipment.
Orodata also called for the use of solar and hybrid power systems where national grid electricity remains unreliable, as well as accessibility-compliant renovations.
The organisation said regular monitoring, measurable targets and community feedback should form part of efforts to track improvements.
It stressed that healthcare investment should be guided by verified facility-level evidence, with progress measured by whether PHCs become adequately staffed, properly equipped, functional, accessible and trusted by the communities they serve.
