The federal government plans to distribute medical equipment to 251 secondary healthcare facilities across Nigeria as early gains emerge in maternal and child healthcare under ongoing reforms.
The announcement was made during a stakeholders and media engagement ahead of the launch of the equipment distribution programme under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office in Abuja.
National Coordinator Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq said the reforms target structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare system, including poor coordination, inadequate infrastructure, weak data management, shortage of health workers, and limited access to affordable care.
He said the agenda aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s human capital development priorities and focuses on strengthening governance, accountability, and service delivery at all levels.
“Governance is at the heart of how we can address these long-standing issues,” Umar-Sadiq said. “We speak a lot about one plan, one budget, one report, and one conversation.”
Interventions are targeting both supply and demand through recruitment of community health workers, revitalisation of primary healthcare centres, upgrading of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care facilities, and improved provision of equipment and medical commodities.
Efforts are also underway to improve affordability through the National Health Insurance Authority reimbursement scheme for caesarean sections and obstetric complications.
The federal government has signed a compact with the 36 states and the FCT to establish a unified accountability framework. Under the arrangement, federal, state, and local governments have clear responsibilities, including quarterly performance reviews, mandatory data reporting, and incentive-based financing tied to independently verified results.
Umar-Sadiq described it as an “ask-and-offer” arrangement. The federal government will provide funding and technical support, while states commit to agreed reforms and investments before qualifying for reimbursements.
The government has committed to upgrading at least one CEmONC facility in every local government area. Of 774 secondary facilities assessed, 251 were selected for equipment support covering operating theatres, laboratories, neonatal units, pharmacies, and emergency obstetric care services.
The intervention is expected to improve capacity to manage maternal and neonatal emergencies and reduce preventable deaths. Upgraded facilities will also support empanelment under the NHIA to expand access to reimbursed maternal healthcare.
More than 3,000 primary healthcare centres have already been revitalised with state governments and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Of these, 808 are in 172 high-burden local government areas that account for about 55 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria.
Over 3,000 community health workers have been recruited and deployed to underserved areas. Emergency transportation and referral systems are also being strengthened to move women with pregnancy-related complications to equipped referral hospitals.
So far, 259 facilities have been empanelled under the NHIA reimbursement initiative, and more than 42,000 women and newborns have benefited from free caesarean sections and other reimbursed obstetric services.
The office is also advancing a pooled procurement initiative, Medipool, to reduce stock-outs, lower costs, improve quality assurance, and strengthen procurement across the sector.
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Umar-Sadiq said service utilisation has increased in targeted areas, with more than 2.1 million pregnant women accessing antenatal care. Skilled birth attendance and facility-based deliveries have improved, while facility-based maternal mortality rates have declined in participating areas.
Data and evidence-based policymaking remain central to the programme, with indicators tracked on maternal mortality, health worker deployment, facility revitalisation, commodity availability, and emergency response.
Under the model, states are expected to gradually absorb the salaries of newly recruited health workers into their payrolls over three years to ensure sustainability beyond federal and donor funding. Independent verification agents have been engaged to confirm performance before reimbursements are released.
Umar-Sadiq acknowledged that some states still face challenges with memoranda of understanding on recruitment and financing, including fiscal planning, accommodation, and workforce absorption. Discussions are ongoing with states, including Lagos, Delta, and Rivers.
The government is also investing in training institutions, workforce expansion, health technology schools, and accommodation to boost the production of midwives and frontline personnel and improve welfare.
