The Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency (TSPHCDA) has recorded major progress in strengthening primary healthcare delivery across the state, including the revitalisation of 113 Primary Health Care Centres and the employment of 786 health and emergency personnel.
The Executive Secretary of TSPHCDA, Dr. Tukura Nuhu Nyigwa, disclosed this during a press briefing in Jalingo to highlight the agency’s achievements, challenges and priorities under the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas.
He said the state government’s IMPACT Project facilitated the revitalisation of 113 PHC centres, one in each of the state’s 113 political wards, while the National Primary Health Care Development Agency revitalised an additional three facilities, one in each senatorial district.
Nyigwa added that 13 health facilities were currently being upgraded from Level 1 to Level 2 with support from the Global Fund and implementation assistance from UNICEF.
On emergency healthcare, the Executive Secretary said penta-cycle ambulances had been procured and distributed to all 16 Local Government Areas, while 336 personnel were employed to support emergency medical ambulance services.
He further disclosed that the state government had employed 450 health workers, including Community Health Extension Workers, Medical Laboratory Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians, Midwives and Community Nurses.
According to him, approval had also been secured for the recruitment of 480 Community-Based Health Workers, with implementation expected to commence soon.
The agency has also strengthened health information management through the procurement and distribution of 200 laptops under the IMPACT Project.
Nyigwa said the devices were distributed to PHC Directors, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers and Medical Record Officers across the Local Government Areas and political wards.
He added that medical equipment, consumables, Doppler ultrasound machines and Sexual and Reproductive Health equipment and commodities had been procured and distributed to health facilities across the state.
The Executive Secretary also highlighted the institutionalisation of medicine procurement through the Taraba State Drug Management Agency, saying the initiative was aimed at improving accountability and ensuring the availability of quality medicines at Primary Health Care Centres.
On immunisation, Nyigwa said Taraba recorded strong performance in the introduction of major vaccines, ranking first among Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage in 2023 and second in Measles-Rubella vaccine coverage in 2025, based on the agency’s reported national performance results.
Despite the progress, he identified inadequate office accommodation, limited state counterpart funding, irregular release of monthly running costs, accumulated electricity bills and fuelling requirements for the State Cold Store as some of the challenges confronting the agency.
He also cited delays in budget approvals and releases as constraints affecting the sustainability and expansion of primary healthcare services.
The agency called for the construction of a standalone office complex as provided for in the 2026 state budget, timely payment of counterpart funding, regular release of monthly running costs and government intervention to address the electricity and fuelling needs of the State Cold Store.
It also appealed for timely approval and release of budgetary allocations to enable the agency to effectively implement its programmes.
Nyigwa stressed that sustained government investment and stronger collaboration with development partners, Local Government Authorities, communities and other stakeholders would be essential to consolidating the gains recorded in Taraba’s primary healthcare system.
He said the ultimate measure of investment in primary healthcare was not merely the number of facilities revitalised or equipment procured, but whether mothers, children, adolescents and families could access quality healthcare when and where they needed it.