National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and partners have highlighted the critical need for strategic resource allocation and human capital development for effective primary healthcare service delivery across the country.

They stated this at a Strategic Stakeholders Engagement organised by the Nigeria Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Forum, in collaboration with Options Consultancy Services and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja.

The executive director of NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, acknowledged the progress made in primary healthcare but noted that the pace had been slow, stressing that the focus should now be on building upon previous efforts to accelerate progress.

"The real issue is not just the availability of resources but how these resources are allocated and utilised," he said.

Addressing the challenges facing human resources in the healthcare sector, Dr. Aina highlighted the migration of healthcare workers as a significant issue.

He called for better distribution of healthcare professionals, capacity building, and skill development to strengthen the workforce, while also emphasising the importance of partnerships between the NPHCDA, the UHC Forum, and civil society organisations (CSOs) in making basic healthcare services accessible to all Nigerians.

The co-convener of the UHC Forum, Dr. Garfa Alawode, discussed the strategy of leveraging political transitions, such as elections, to bring Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to the forefront of Nigeria's political agenda.