UNICEF-Led Initiative Targets Leadership Gaps in Nigeria’s Healthcare System

Funmi Ogundare

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s healthcare sector have identified poor leadership, governance, and management as the most critical barriers to improved health outcomes in the country.

They made this known during a series of workshops held in Yola, Sokoto, and Ilorin under the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led health governance strengthening initiative, in partnership with Development Governance International (DGI).

The initiative titled, ‘Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC)’, targets State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDAs) and other primary healthcare-related bodies in Adamawa, Kwara, and Sokoto states. Its goal is to enhance evidence-based policy-making, planning, financing, implementation, and monitoring of gender- and adolescent-responsive primary healthcare services, as well as Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services, and address gender-based violence.

Speaking at the workshops, Dr. Emmanuel Emedu, Project Lead and UNICEF Health Specialist, emphasised that effective leadership, governance and management of the health system is a must.

“A robust management system ensures seamless integration of health service delivery into the broader state health development agenda,” he stated.

Deputy Governor of Adamawa State and Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Task Force, Prof. Kaletapwa George Farauta, underscored the importance of strengthening leadership and governance to improve planning, implementation, monitoring, and accountability in the health sector. She lauded UNICEF and DGI for their commitment to building a resilient, people-oriented primary healthcare system in the state.

Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, noted that while technical skills are abundant, soft skills remain lacking.

 “We need to translate programs and policies into meaningful benefits for our people through effective leadership and governance and efficient management,” she said.

Similarly, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar Wurno, Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, commended the initiative, pledging state support to achieve its five key goals.

Dr. Gafar Alawode, Chief Executive Officer of DGI, described the ELGMC project as interactive and inclusive, involving assessments of leadership, policy development, and implementation capacities in the pilot states.

 The next stages will include focus group discussions, key informant interviews, data analysis, and the development of a draft capacity assessment report, followed by implementation of capacity strengthening plans and mentoring.

The stakeholders expressed optimism that if successfully implemented, the ELGMC project will establish effective leadership, governance, and management systems that could transform health outcomes in Nigeria, starting with the three pilot states.