Civic accountability organisation, MonITNG, has challenged the conflicting claims made by President Bola Tinubu and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) on the number of renovated primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across Nigeria.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, MonITNG questioned the disparity between President Tinubu’s assertion that 8,800 PHCs have been upgraded with N45.9 billion, and the NPHCDA’s separate claim that 991 centres have been revitalised.
“Recent claims by the Presidency and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) about the number of renovated Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have raised serious questions,” MonITNG stated.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Tinubu on Friday in Abuja during the 32nd Annual Meetings of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), claimed that his administration has spent N45.9 billion in healthcare to upgrade 8,800 primary health centres, improving maternal care and diagnostics in neglected Nigerian communities, though he failed to name the locations or states.
Tinubu also announced that more than 100,000 Nigerians have so far benefitted from the newly launched national consumer credit scheme, designed to empower citizens and support small businesses across the country.
He had said the credit programme marks a significant step in driving financial inclusion and fostering enterprise growth.
Meanwhile, earlier in April 2025, the NPHCDA claimed that the Tinubu’s administration had revitalised 991 Primary Healthcare Centres across the country over the past year.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, who made the claim at the PHC update and 2025 African Vaccination Week press conference in Abuja, also said that over 2,700 PHCs were undergoing upgrades, with completion targeted by the end of 2025.
Following President Tinubu’s claim, the discrepancy has prompted concerns over transparency, accountability, and the actual state of Nigeria’s primary healthcare infrastructure, especially in underserved and rural communities.
MonITNG said, “The NPHCDA says 991 PHCs have been revived, while President Tinubu claims 8,800 centres have been upgraded with N45.9 billion spent. These conflicting figures cannot be ignored.
“Primary healthcare is the bedrock of our health system, it’s where millions go first for maternal care, immunisations, and treatment.”
MonITNG called for an audit-style disclosure of the locations and status of each allegedly upgraded PHC.
“If these centres have truly been upgraded, then every Nigerian should be able to see and feel the impact,” the organisation said.
“We deserve to know where these PHCs are and whether they are actually operational.
“This is not about politics, it’s about people. About mothers walking kilometres to find help.
“About babies who need vaccines. About rural communities where healthcare is often a luxury.
“Public announcements must be backed by public access to the facts. Transparency is not a favour; it is a duty.”
The organisation asked the NPHCDA to publish the list of renovated PHCs and encouraged public participation in verifying whether the stated upgrades have been realised.
It stated, “We are asking the NPHCDA to publish the list of renovated PHCs.
“Let’s verify together. Let communities confirm if the health centres near them have been improved.
“Let the facts speak. We are ready to assist in tracking these facilities and ensuring they are truly serving Nigerians.”
The organisation stressed, “Health care must not live only in speeches. It must live in our neighbourhoods. In accessible, well-equipped, and functional PHCs. Nigerians deserve no less.”