Data obtained from the health facilities register of the Federal Ministry of Health has revealed that Nigeria only has 40,017 functional hospitals and clinics across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

The health facilities are jointly owned by the government and private sector operators.

It was observed that Bayelsa, Borno and Ekiti states had the least number of functional hospitals and clinics in the country.

According to the data, 10,655 of the functional facilities are managed privately and exist on different levels of care; namely, primary, secondary and tertiary.

Reports show that in states like Bayelsa, Borno, Ekiti, the FCT, Gombe, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara, the number of functional hospitals and clinics is below 800.

Even though Lagos State ranked first in the number of functional hospitals, it was observed that 1,875 of the 2,333 functional hospitals and clinics were privately owned, leaving 458 facilities under the control of the federal, state and local governments.

The states with their respectively functional facilities include: Abia, 1,196; Adamawa, 906; Akwa Ibom, 818; Anambra, 1,166; Bauchi, 1,225; Bayelsa, 311; Benue, 1,837; Borno, 539; Cross River, 1,280; Delta, 821; Ebonyi, 830; Edo, 1,042; Ekiti, 570; Enugu, 1,037; the FCT, 767; and Gombe, 671.

Others are Imo, 1,197; Jigawa, 769; Kaduna, 1,419; Kano, 1,476; Katsina, 1,942; Kebbi, 956; Kogi, 1,235; Kwara, 995; Lagos, 2,333; Nasarawa, 1,357; Niger, 1,565; Ogun, 1,197; Ondo, 823; Osun, 1,067; Oyo, 1,490; Plateau, 1,470; Rivers, 586; Sokoto, 841; Taraba, 944; Yobe, 585; and Zamfara, 777.