The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, has strengthened leadership, governance and management capacities among health-sector stakeholders in Adamawa, Sokoto and Kwara States.
The initiative is aimed at improving outcomes in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH+N), as well as gender-based violence (GBV) programmes.
The intervention followed a series of state-level leadership, governance and management capacity-building workshops organised under the Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC) project.
The workshops, held in the capitals of the three states, brought together senior government officials, heads of health institutions, programme managers, local government representatives, development partners and other key stakeholders.
Participants examined major challenges affecting the health system and developed practical solutions to strengthen leadership, institutional performance and healthcare delivery.
Speaking during one of the workshops, UNICEF Health Systems Specialist, Dr. Emmanuel Emedo, said stronger leadership was essential to translating investments and technical expertise in the health sector into better health outcomes.
He stressed that technical expertise alone was not enough to ensure effective healthcare delivery, noting that health professionals appointed to leadership positions also needed the skills required to manage institutions, people and resources effectively.
“Technical expertise alone is not enough for effective and efficient healthcare delivery,” Emedo said, adding that better leadership would lead to better results.
He explained that strengthening leadership capacity had become increasingly important as governments were expected to take greater responsibility for health programmes amid changes in global development financing.
The workshops used an interactive and competency-based approach, allowing participants to analyse real health-sector challenges and develop practical responses.
Key areas covered included strategic planning, coordination, results-based management, financial management, human resources, resource optimisation and the use of data to guide decision-making.
Participants also developed a shared vision for RMNCAH+N programmes and reviewed a draft results framework designed to translate priorities into measurable outcomes, improve accountability and strengthen programme implementation.
In Kwara State, stakeholders noted that although significant progress had been made in maternal and child health, stronger leadership and management at local government and healthcare-facility levels would be necessary to sustain the gains and address remaining gaps.
The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, appreciated UNICEF and other development partners for their support, stressing the importance of consolidating the state’s progress while addressing challenges relating to governance, leadership, resource management and quality healthcare delivery.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, said improving the management skills of health workers, particularly officers in charge of health facilities, would be critical to achieving the state’s health objectives.
In Adamawa State, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Zirra Mathias Bubanani, who represented the Commissioner for Health, urged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the training in their respective institutions and share it with colleagues.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar Wurno, also commended UNICEF and DGI Consult for the initiative and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to implementing the priorities identified through the programme.
The Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, Dr. Gafar Alawode, said the ELGMC project was designed to go beyond conventional training by equipping health leaders with practical competencies and systems for solving institutional challenges.
He noted that while many health professionals had received extensive technical training, some had not received formal leadership and management training.
Alawode said the programme was therefore focused on practical problem-solving and competency development, using evidence from baseline assessments that identified institutional strengths and weaknesses across the three states.
He said improving healthcare outcomes required sustained attention to leadership, governance and management, particularly in institutions where systems and processes remained weak.
Following the workshops, the ELGMC project has commenced mentoring and technical support to help participants apply the knowledge, tools and approaches introduced during the training.
The initiative is being implemented by DGI Consult under the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) Project, jointly supported by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).I can also provide 5 alternative headlines in a more attention-grabbing Nigerian news style if you want.
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