The Federal Government has launched new strategic tools and initiatives, including an automated standing orders mobile app for community health workers, to shift the health sector from review to action.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, announced the initiative on Friday at the close of the three-day 2025 Joint Annual Review (JAR) meeting in Abuja.
Pate said the move aims to improve healthcare delivery, enhance efficiency, and strengthen the health workforce to achieve Universal Health Coverage. He noted that government officials, development partners, and subnational actors had collectively assessed progress, challenges, and opportunities under the sector-wide approach (SWAp).
“Over the last three days, we reviewed our progress, our challenges, and the opportunities before us. We have been candid with each other: yes, we have made progress, but we also recognize that significant challenges remain,” he said.
The minister described the meeting as marking a shift from review to action, with the launch of new strategic tools, reports, and digital platforms designed to drive evidence-based delivery across the health system.
“Today, we are laying the foundations for actions going forward as we launch strategic tools, reports, and platforms that will strengthen the implementation of our national priorities. These products reflect our commitment to transparency, data, accountability, and using evidence to drive results that matter for our people,” Pate said.
He noted that the tools address Nigeria’s most urgent health priorities, including maternal and newborn mortality reduction, immunization equity and zero-dose elimination, health security, primary health care revitalization, and climate and health resilience.
Pate also commended the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Daju Kachallom, for championing work on climate and health adaptation, which has gained recognition in global health circles, including The Lancet.
“For some reason, she took the issue of climate and health adaptation personally. She has been recognized for this, and her Lancet commentary will be out soon. Our Permanent Secretary is turning out to be an amazing expert,” he said.
Highlighting progress in data strengthening and digital transformation, Pate said codifying the new tools would make it easier to maintain standards and hold institutions accountable.
“We may falter occasionally, but I hope that in many cases we will exceed the standards we are setting,” he said, urging states to adopt the tools as reference materials, digitize them, place them on official websites, and ensure technical experts study and apply them.
“Let them not become shelf documents. Use what is usable, and if you find gaps, circle back to us so we can improve them,” he added.
During the session, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) praised Nigeria’s reforms. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, said Nigeria’s success begins with a unified and integrated national health plan.
“Start with one plan, an integrated plan. A country like Nigeria eliminates 30 to 40 per cent of inefficiencies simply by having one plan. Everyone works under one vision, one plan, one budget, and one implementation model. This is not easy to achieve in a federal country like Nigeria, but Nigeria is succeeding, and that is why I commended it,” he said.
Kaseya added that harmonized plans attract more domestic resources, reduce inefficiencies such as ghost workers, strengthen procurement processes, and align external financing with government priorities.
“This is the pathway to sustainability and sovereignty for Nigeria,” he said.
Earlier, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Chair of the Forum of Commissioners for Health and Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, said the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach had boosted citizens’ confidence.
“The voices of our people were fully factored into this process, and Nigerians appear to be recognizing the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in steering these reforms. Their growing confidence strengthens our resolve,” Filani said.
He added that the government would continue to work “into 2026 and beyond” to fulfill presidential commitments. “We have incorporated all recommendations and signed the compact already,” he said.
The 2025 Joint Annual Review brought together nearly 1,000 delegates, including representatives from federal and state governments, development partners, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, ALGON, academia, the private sector, civil society, and traditional institutions.
