Nigeria’s primary healthcare system is facing serious manpower and infrastructure challenges, with only three per cent of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) surveyed meeting the required staffing standard, a new report has revealed.
The PHC Operational Capability Report by Orodata Science and Civic Tech assessed 1,480 PHCs across 16 states and 277 local government areas, examining the availability of healthcare workers, medical equipment, electricity, water, infrastructure and accessibility.
The assessment, conducted between October 2023 and June 2025, found that 11 of the 16 states surveyed had no PHC that met the minimum staffing requirement.
The manpower shortage was compounded by major deficiencies in basic infrastructure and essential services.
According to the report, 38 per cent of the facilities had no electricity, while 39 per cent relied on unsafe sources of water.
Another 40 per cent had leaking roofs or damaged ceilings, highlighting the poor physical condition of many facilities expected to provide essential healthcare services to local communities.
Newborn care was also identified as a major concern, with 75 per cent of the PHCs lacking essential neonatal resuscitation equipment.
The report further found that 66 per cent of the facilities lacked adequate provisions for people living with disabilities or mobility difficulties, potentially creating additional barriers to healthcare access for vulnerable residents.
Orodata said several of the problems frequently occurred at the same facilities, further weakening their capacity to provide reliable healthcare.
The concerns were reflected in public perception, as 51 per cent of residents surveyed rated services at their local PHCs as poor.
The findings raise concerns about the ability of Nigeria’s primary healthcare system to provide timely and quality care, particularly for communities that depend on PHCs as their first point of contact with the health system.
Orodata Science and Civic Tech urged governments to urgently repair damaged facilities, improve access to electricity and safe water, recruit more healthcare workers and provide essential medical equipment.
The organisation also called on state authorities to use verified facility-level data when planning healthcare interventions and to regularly monitor PHCs to measure progress and ensure that investments translate into improved services.
The report highlights the need for urgent action across Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, as inadequate staffing, poor infrastructure, unreliable utilities and shortages of essential equipment continue to undermine the quality of care available to millions of residents.