Connected Development (CODE), a non-governmental organisation, has partnered with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to launch Project Track–BHCPF, an initiative aimed at strengthening health security, transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s epidemic preparedness framework.
The project focuses on the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), a Federal Government initiative established under the National Health Act of 2014 to expand access to essential healthcare services and advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by CODE’s Communications Officer, Mr Nankpak Cirfat.
According to Cirfat, Project Track–BHCPF is an analysis and capstone initiative of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, supported by Resolve to Save Lives. The project is being led by CODE’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Hyeladzira Mshelia, alongside Mr Abdulazeez Hussaini.
Mshelia said the initiative seeks to address accountability and evidence gaps that undermine effective epidemic preparedness and response in Nigeria.
She noted that although domestic financing for health security has increased in recent years, transparency in the utilisation of such funds remains weak, making performance assessment and evidence-based advocacy difficult.
“Through this initiative, CODE aims to generate actionable evidence within six months, from January to June 2026, to support improved oversight, learning, and sustained investment in health security,” Mshelia said.
She explained that the project would deploy CODE’s #FollowTheMoney methodology, including Freedom of Information requests, policy reviews, administrative data analysis and a sub-national case study to assess preparedness outcomes.
According to her, advocacy efforts under the project will include policy briefs, structured engagement with oversight institutions and policymakers, as well as strategic media engagement to strengthen public accountability.
Mshelia described the BHCPF as Nigeria’s primary domestic financing mechanism for strengthening the health system, noting that the NCDC gateway remains the only BHCPF channel that directly supports disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory systems and emergency coordination.
She, however, expressed concern that despite the introduction of BHCPF 2.0 in October 2025, which enhanced accountability and performance expectations, public visibility into NCDC gateway disbursements and utilisation remains limited.
“Nigeria’s epidemic preparedness and response capacity depends significantly on sustained domestic financing for health security.
“This project is designed to deliver measurable outcomes, including improved transparency on NCDC gateway disbursements, independent evidence to support oversight and performance assessment, stronger data-driven advocacy for domestic health security financing, and a replicable accountability framework for tracking health security investments,” she said.
Mshelia described the initiative as a timely response to the need for greater transparency in the utilisation of domestic epidemic preparedness resources, stressing that funding, accountability and continuous learning are critical to strengthening national health security.
other partners in the project include the Ministerial Oversight Committee on BHCPF, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, state ministries of health, emergency operations centres, as well as civil society and media organisations.