Nigeria PHCs fail national staffing standards in 16 states

A report by Orodata Science has revealed that 97 per cent of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across 16 Nigerian states failed to meet national staffing standards. The assessment, conducted between October 2023 and June 2025, evaluated 1,480 PHCs across 277 local government areas within Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Findings indicate that only 3 per cent of the assessed facilities met the national minimum staffing requirement, with 11 of the 16 states having no PHCs that met the standard. The study, which utilized the CheckMyPHC Digital Scorecard, also highlighted severe infrastructural deficiencies. Approximately 40 per cent of facilities had broken ceilings or leaking roofs, 38 per cent operated without electricity, and 39 per cent relied on unsafe water sources.

Critical gaps were identified in maternal and newborn care, as 75 per cent of the facilities lacked essential neonatal resuscitation equipment. Additionally, 66 per cent of the centres lacked accessibility provisions for persons with disabilities or mobility challenges. The report noted that 75 per cent of the assessed facilities were located in rural communities, where these interconnected challenges undermine the delivery of safe and equitable healthcare.