Muhammad Jamil Abubakar
The Gombe State Government has commenced a four-day capacity development workshop for health managers and leaders, aimed at improving the state’s Annual Operational Plans (AOP) and enhancing healthcare delivery systems.
The initiative is supported by the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) in collaboration with key development partners.
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Speaking at the workshop’s opening, Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu, stated that the training will empower health personnel to effectively plan and execute health interventions across the state.
He emphasised the ministry’s commitment to ensuring no stakeholder is left behind in driving progress in the health sector.
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“The AOP reflects all activities scheduled for the year and will guide service delivery in both rural and urban communities,” Dr. Yakubu said, noting that the initiative aligns with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s strong support for health sector reforms in the state.
Also addressing participants, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Suraj Abdulkarim, said the workshop is historic, as it marks the first time the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), a strategic planning and coordination model, has been fully adopted in Nigeria at the sub-national level.
He explained that last year’s operational plan identified key priorities, especially those targeting women, children, and newborns, in line with national and global health targets.
Nigeria currently contributes nearly 25% of global maternal mortality, a burden the Gombe government aims to reduce through focused interventions.
Dr. Abdulkarim also highlighted the MAMMI program initiated by the state government, which focuses on six key areas including maternal health.
A unit has been established to monitor and improve healthcare delivery at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
The program also addresses human resources for health. Measures are being put in place to assess available skilled personnel, deploy them strategically across the state, and provide incentives such as rural accommodation and motivation packages to retain staff in underserved areas.
Improved data collection and evidence-based decision-making are also priorities under the program.
Dr. Tolu Adeniji, a Consultant Public Health Physician with NHSRII, described the training as a cascade model that builds leadership, systems thinking, and problem-solving capacity at all levels of government.
According to him, the initiative stems from a national agreement between the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Ministry of Health, and the Presidency to harmonise health efforts and improve key performance indicators across states.
Dr. Adeniji said the workshop will enhance planning capacity within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), with lessons from the training to be scaled down to local government health teams ensuring inclusive and sustainable improvements in healthcare delivery in Gombe State.