Pate unveils anti-corruption pact to overhaul Nigeria’s health sector
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has announced a sweeping anti-corruption framework designed to restore public trust and safeguard billions budgeted for Nigeria’s health sector.
In an official statement released through his verified handle, the minister said weak accountability systems have long undermined governance in Nigeria, stressing that rebuilding trust between citizens and government requires “transparency in the management of the people’s commonwealth.”
Pate explained that the ministry, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor and audit all spending connected to the nationwide upgrade of primary healthcare infrastructure.
According to him, the partnership seeks to institutionalise preventive and corrective mechanisms that will ensure strict oversight of health parastatals, particularly funding channels under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).
He said the ICPC has been mandated to verify and report on project status as identified by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) before any certification or final payments are made.
“In real time, the ICPC will provide stage-by-stage monitoring of primary healthcare revitalisation projects across all implementing states and local governments to ensure value for money,” Pate stated.
The minister also noted that the pact introduces a new certification system for anti-corruption training and capacity building for health workers, while state and local governments will be integrated into strengthened accountability processes to ensure uniform standards nationwide.
Highlighting youth involvement as a critical component of the reforms, Pate said hundreds of Performance and Financial Management Officers (PFMOs) have already been deployed across all local government areas to assess rehabilitation efforts and monitor operational performance.
This initiative, he added, complements the rollout of the National Health Fellows, comprising 774 young Nigerians selected from each local government area to support the implementation of new accountability procedures.
Pate maintained that these steps are crucial to improving service delivery, safeguarding public funds, and boosting donor confidence in Nigeria’s health sector.
“This is our time to reclaim the nation we love, to reject what has held us back, and to affirm a new social contract grounded in integrity, renewed trust, and renewed hope,” he said.