Nigeria

The Nigeria country profile provides an overview of the community health system in Nigeria according to the most up-to-date policies available. It particularly focuses on the country’s community health providers, the structures that support them, and the services they deliver across many health areas – with a spotlight on family planning. The profile is targeted towards policymakers, program implementers, donors, researchers, and others interested in the country’s community health system.

The table below captures key information from the full, downloadable country profile. The complete CHS Catalog data set is also available for download, including information for Nigeria.

Community Health Quick Stats

Main Community Health Policy / Strategy | Last Updated
  • Minimum Standards for Primary Health Care in Nigeria | No date
  • National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) 2010–2015 | 2010
  • National Guidelines for Development of Primary Health Care System in Nigeria | 2012
  • Integrating Primary Health Care Governance in Nigeria – PHC Under One Roof Implementation Manual | 2013
Number of Community Health Provider Cadres

4 main cadres

  • Community health extension worker (CHEW)
  • Community health officer (CHO)
  • Community resource person (CORP)
  • Junior community health extension worker (JCHEW)
Recommended Number of Community Health Providers
  • Information not available in policy
  • 7,740 CHOs
  • Information not available in policy
  • Information not available in policy
Estimated Number of Community Health Providers
  • 117,568 CHEWs, CHOs, and JCHEWs combined1
  • The number of CORPs is not available
Recommended Ratio of Community Health Providers to Beneficiaries
  • 3 CHEWs : 1 primary health center (10,000–30,000 people); 2 CHEWs : 1 primary health clinic (2,000–5,000 people)
  • 1 CHO : 1 primary health center (10,000–30,000 people)
  • Information not available in policy
  • 6 JCHEWs : 1 primary health center (10,000–30,000 people); 4 JCHEWs : 1 primary health clinic (2,000–5,000 people); 1 JCHEW : 1 health post (500 people)
Community-Level Data Collection Yes
Levels of Management of Community-Level Service Delivery

National, state, local government area (LGA), ward/village
Key Community Health Program(s)

Primary health care (PHC) system

1 As of 2006.

Key Policies and Strategies

Federal Ministry of Health. 2010. National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) 2010–2015 (accessed July 2017).

———. 2015. Manual for the Training of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) on Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) Methods (IUDs and Contraceptive Implants) (accessed July 2017).

———. 2016. National Health Policy (accessed July 2017).

———. 2016. National Strategy for Scale-up of Chlorhexidine in Nigeria (accessed July 2018).

Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Republic of Nigeria. 2010. Essential Medicines List, 5th Revised Edition. Abuja: Federal Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, European Commission (accessed July 2017).

Federal Republic of Nigeria. 2007. National Human Resources for Health Strategic Plan 2008–2012 (accessed July 2017).

National Primary Health Care Development Agency. 2010a. National Standing Orders for Community Health Officers/Community Health Extension Workers.

———. 2010b. National Standing Orders for Junior Community Health Extension Workers. National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Federal Government of Nigeria. n.d. Minimum Standards for Primary Health Care in Nigeria. Abuja: Department of Planning, Research and Statistics (accessed July 2017).

———. 2013. Integrating Primary Health Care Governance in Nigeria – PHC under One Roof Implementation Manual.

National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Federal Republic of Nigeria. 2012. National Guidelines for Development of Primary Health Care System in Nigeria, Fourth Revised Edition. Abuja: National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Damnori Nigeria Limited.