Nigeria Faces Shortage of 122,696 Primary Healthcare Workers, Federal Government Reports

• Requires N4.55bn to fill PHC vacancies

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government has stated that it will need three years to recruit the 122,696 health workers required to fill vacant positions in Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities across 26 states nationwide.

It also said it will need an estimated N4.55 billion over that period to fill the vacancies.

The Human Resource for Health and Project Management Lead at the Sector‑Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office, Zaiyanatu Umar, disclosed this information at the weekend in Abuja during the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting on national healthcare implementation.

Umar explained that the estimate was based on an analysis of baseline data submitted by 26 verified states, which self‑reported their staffing levels against the Primary Health Care Minimum Staffing Standards during the SWAp recruitment assessment exercise.

“The baseline data received from SWAp was based on the recruitment tool that was developed,” she said.

“This was majorly to push forth on the HOPE‑GOV 5.2 Disbursement‑Linked Indicator (DLI), which spoke around ensuring a quality healthcare workforce and availability across the different levels,” she added.

The World Bank‑supported HOPE‑GOV Programme rewards states for improving governance, financial management, and service delivery across Primary Health Care and basic education systems nationwide.

Under Disbursement‑Linked Indicator 5.2, participating states focus on recruiting, mapping, and deploying essential Primary Health Care workers to underserved communities, thereby strengthening equitable access to quality healthcare services across Nigeria.

She said assessments showed that 220,755 Primary Health Care positions were required across participating states, but only 98,059 were occupied, leaving 122,696 vacancies that require urgent recruitment to improve healthcare delivery nationwide.

Umar added that participating states averaged 7