The Federal Government has upgraded more than 3,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs), retrained over 78,000 frontline health workers and started more than 11,000 projects through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as part of reforms being implemented with state governments.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this known on Sunday in a response to criticism by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, saying the investments show how public funds are being used in health and education.
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In response to Atiku’s criticism of government borrowing, subsidy removal, tax reforms and the economy, Onanuga said the administration’s position should be viewed through current figures and ongoing programmes instead of earlier stages of the reform process.
He maintained that the government had channelled resources into public services, infrastructure and social support.
Health projects expand access to care
Onanuga said more than 3,000 primary healthcare centres had been revitalised, upgraded and refurbished by April 2026 through collaboration between the Federal Government and states.
He also said over 78,000 frontline health workers had received retraining within three years to improve service delivery in health facilities.
The presidential aide stated that more than 100 public hospitals now provide free caesarean operations for eligible indigent mothers. He said thousands of women from Sokoto to Port Harcourt had benefited from the programme.
He further stated that three cancer centres are now operational in Kubwa, Enugu and Katsina. He said cancer treatment facilities had also been expanded in 13 states.
Onanuga said these programmes were introduced alongside measures to improve access to essential medicines and strengthen maternal and child healthcare.
Education projects and student support
On education, Onanuga said the Universal Basic Education Commission, working with the Federal Government and state governments, had embarked on more than 11,000 projects to improve primary and secondary education.
He described the projects as one of the largest efforts to reposition basic education in Nigeria.
He also referred to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, saying more than 1.64 million students had received loans for tuition and upkeep through over 300 higher institutions. He said the scheme had disbursed more than ₦303 billion.
Onanuga also said university academic calendars had become more stable, noting that students now complete degree programmes within the normal duration because prolonged lecturers’ strikes had ended.
Beyond health and education, Onanuga defended the administration’s wider economic reforms. He said Nigeria’s dollar denominated Gross Domestic Product had increased from about 253 billion dollars after the 2024 exchange rate adjustment to about 377 billion dollars, while naira GDP rose from about ₦314 trillion to ₦530 trillion.
He also rejected claims that Nigeria was over borrowing. He said the country’s debt to GDP ratio stood at about 40 per cent and that the debt service to revenue ratio had dropped from nearly 100 per cent in December 2022 to below 60 per cent.
On subsidy removal, Onanuga said higher allocations from the Federation Account had enabled state and local governments to spend more on roads, schools, hospitals, salaries, pensions and social programmes.
He also dismissed claims that the government realised an oil windfall of ₦7.98 trillion, saying such calculations ignored production levels, production costs, the share belonging to oil companies and crude supply commitments tied to existing loans.
Onanuga maintained that the government’s reforms were intended to improve public finances and expand investment in essential services.
He said programmes such as NG-CARES, HOPE and SOLID, valued at more than 3 billion dollars, together with cash transfers to 15 million vulnerable households, were also being used to provide relief to Nigerians affected by the reforms.
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