The African Development Bank has approved a $46 million loan to help improve health facilities in Sokoto State.
In a statement shared with reporters on Friday, the Bank said its Board agreed to give Sokoto the loan to fix long-standing problems in healthcare access and quality.
“The African Development Bank has approved a $46 million loan for the Sokoto State Health Infrastructure Project,” the statement said. “This project will help improve access to good healthcare in Sokoto State, Nigeria.”
The Bank said Sokoto’s healthcare system needs urgent help because many important health indicators show serious problems.
“The state has major health challenges,” the statement continued. “Only one in every 20 children is fully vaccinated. Also, 104 babies out of every 1,000 die before their first birthday. This is almost double Nigeria’s national average of 63.”
The Bank also said that fewer than 14% of health centres in Sokoto have working buildings and equipment. There is only one doctor for every 8,285 people, which is far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended standard of one doctor for every 1,000 people.
The statement explained that the Bank’s loan will be used to build and equip health facilities at all levels of care in the state.
Apart from new buildings, the project will also support important systems that help health services function better.
“The funding will help provide modern, climate-friendly health facilities at three levels,” the statement said. “This includes building and equipping a 1,000-bed teaching hospital, three regional hospitals with a total of 450 beds, and six primary healthcare centres placed in rural areas.”
The project will also upgrade health worker training schools and build a modern warehouse for storing and distributing medicines.
The Bank’s Nigeria Director General, Abdul Kamara, said the project would have a long-lasting impact. “This shows our strong support for fixing the country’s health problems by building strong, climate-resilient health centres. Improving Sokoto’s health system gives hope and better health to millions of people,” he said.
The Bank added that the project fits into Nigeria’s national goals and will create jobs and promote sustainability.
“This project supports Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and the Health Sector Renewal Initiative,” the statement said. “It is expected to create around 2,500 jobs. Sixty per cent of these jobs will go to young people and 30 per cent to women.”
The project will also use modern technology and clean energy. It will introduce electronic health systems and renewable energy to make health centres more efficient and reduce pollution. It will also increase the number of training spaces in local health schools, adding 700 new spots each year to help reduce the shortage of health workers.
The Bank highlighted that this project is being done with other organisations. “This builds on our previous work in Nigeria’s health sector, where we’ve already funded four major projects worth a total of $117.68 million,” the statement said.
The Bank said it will work with groups like UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, USAID, and others to make sure the project brings lasting improvements to Nigeria’s health system.
In closing, the Bank said it is committed to improving lives across Africa. “We will continue investing in strong health systems that help everyone grow and live healthier lives,” it said.
