Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The federal government has commenced distribution of medical equipment to 250 secondary health facilities across 30 states of the federation to strengthen service delivery and reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Nigeria.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, yesterday, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Ali Pate, said the intervention was part of the federal government’s renewed commitment to health sector reforms and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Pate, represented by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, described the initiative as a broader Health Sector Renewal Investment Agenda aimed at translating policy commitments into measurable improvements in healthcare delivery nationwide.
According to him, over 40,000 women have already accessed life-saving maternal health interventions under ongoing government-supported programmes.
“These are not just numbers; they represent mothers who have been given a second chance at life,” he said.
Pate added that the intervention fulfils President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring safe childbirth for every Nigerian mother and improved survival chances for newborns.
He noted that equipment worth approximately 200,000 Dollars had been deployed to address critical gaps in secondary healthcare facilities.
However, he cautioned that equipment alone would not guarantee improved health outcomes.
“Sustainable impact requires functional facilities, adequate staffing, and continuous investment, particularly at the secondary healthcare level where workforce gaps remain significant,” he said.
He urged state governments to complement federal efforts through facility rehabilitation, improved staffing, and proper utilisation of the equipment as well as ensuring accountability.
“We will put mechanisms in place to track implementation and hold stakeholders accountable,” he said.
Explaining the process adopted in executing the healthcare initiative, NPHCDA boss said that every state was allowed to submit areas of critical gaps that needed to be filled.
“This particular intervention in managed by the Swap Coordination Office was done. Prioritisation was done in close collaboration with states. Every state is involved, but this is the first phase. What we did to do this was to say, every state, tell us, what are your needs? Do an assessment of your facilities, which facilities are high volume and have significant gaps, many secondary facilities or general hospitals,” he said,
Speaking, the National Coordinator of the Swap Coordination Office, Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, said sustained commitment to agreed frameworks remains critical to strengthening governance, financing, and service delivery.
He explained that the Nigeria UHC Compact outlines clear responsibilities across federal, state, and local governments, including health financing, service standards, and capacity building.
Umar-Sadiq noted that nearly 17,000 primary healthcare facilities are being revitalised, alongside the training of over 120,000 health workers nationwide.
He further said that initial assessments across 630 facilities revealed an average readiness score of 14 per cent, highlighting major infrastructure and equipment gaps.
“As part of the response, essential equipment has been distributed to about 251 facilities covering labour wards, laboratories, theatres, pharmacies, and neonatal care units,” he said.
Umar-Sadiq, also disclosed that over 3,000 facilities have so far been revitalised, including more than 800 at the community level, supported by thousands of community health workers.
The Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Kelechi Ohiri, described the initiative as a major milestone in improving access to quality healthcare.
Ohiri said NHIA had implemented access-to-care programmes across 245 facilities since 2024, recording over 45,000 claims.
He added that neonatal services introduced in 10 facilities have recorded more than 3,000 claims, contributing to improved newborn survival.
He stressed that while equipment provision is critical, it must be complemented with skilled personnel, effective referral systems, reliable supply chains, and stable power supply.
In his remarks, representative of the World Bank office in Nigeria, Mr. Olumide Okunola, said the initiative resulted from deliberate reforms agreed upon by the federal government, states, and development partners since 2023.
He called on states to work towards fulfilling their part, noting that improvement in maternal health outcomes would also drive economic growth and human capital development
“What is different now is that there is a broad consensus that past approaches needed to change,” he said.
Similarly, the Nigeria Country Director of the Gates Foundation, Uche Amaonwu, described current efforts as insufficient relative to the scale of maternal mortality challenges.
Amaonwu called for sustained collaboration and increased investment to accelerate progress in reducing maternal deaths.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Forum of Commissioners for Health, Oyebanji Filani, said the equipment would significantly improve health outcomes and reduce preventable deaths.
He assured that states would ensure proper utilisation of the equipment to improve service delivery.
The Health Adviser to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ahmad Abdulwahab, while expressing the commitment of state governments towards actualising the goals of the initiative.
He stressed the need for adequate human resources and maintenance systems to sustain the equipment.
“Equipment alone is not sufficient. We must ensure it remains functional and delivers value over time,” he said.
The ALGON Health Desk Technical Lead, Dr. Ben Nkechika, assured that local governments would support the initiative through improved referral systems, operational local health authorities, and proper safeguarding of equipment.
