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…Urge sustained investment, transparency and grassroots monitoring
A coalition of civil society organisations has commended Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, and the Acting Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SSPHCDA), Dr Bilyaminu Yari Sifawa, for what it described as significant strides in strengthening primary healthcare across the state.
The coalition, led by its Convener, Comrade Salisu Mohammed, said the ongoing renovation of primary healthcare centres, provision of medical equipment, expanded immunisation campaigns and interventions targeting maternal and child health were helping to improve access to essential healthcare at the grassroots.
In a statement issued after its assessment of activities documented by the SSPHCDA, the group said facilities including primary healthcare centres at Mandera in Shagari Local Government Area, Kaurar Kimba in Wamakko and Achida in Wurno had been renovated and commissioned, while other facilities had received equipment and operational support.
The coalition said the interventions were particularly important for women, children and vulnerable communities who depend heavily on primary healthcare facilities.
It singled out the Maternity Waiting Home at PHC Kwannawa in Dange Shuni and the Safe Deliveries Initiative as practical measures capable of improving access to skilled care and reducing maternal and newborn deaths.
The group also praised the state’s immunisation efforts, noting that campaigns against polio, measles-rubella and other childhood diseases had been carried out across the state’s 23 local government areas and 244 wards.
According to the coalition, the provision of motorcycles to LGA immunisation officers could strengthen supervision, logistics and vaccine delivery, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
It also described the commissioning of the Sokoto Polio Emergency Operations Centre as a significant development, stressing that effective disease surveillance and rapid response remained critical to preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The coalition further commended the state’s collaboration with development partners, including UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA and Gavi, in immunisation, nutrition, reproductive health, data management and broader health-system strengthening.
It said the N200 million child nutrition intervention, jointly supported by the Sokoto State Government and UNICEF, was particularly noteworthy in view of the burden of severe acute malnutrition among children in the state.
However, the group cautioned that commendation must be accompanied by accountability.
It urged the government and SSPHCDA to ensure that funds, medicines, equipment and donor-supported interventions reach their intended beneficiaries, while calling for greater access for civil society organisations to independently monitor implementation.
“We will continue to engage relevant authorities, communities and partners, while encouraging citizens to demand responsible stewardship of public health investments and report gaps that could undermine service delivery at the grassroots,” the coalition said.
The group urged Governor Aliyu, the Ministry of Health and the SSPHCDA leadership to sustain and expand the initiatives, insisting that the ultimate measure of success should be whether ordinary residents can obtain timely, affordable and quality healthcare.
“Primary healthcare is the first point of contact for millions of Nigerians. Strengthening it is not merely an administrative responsibility; it is an investment in human life, dignity and the future of Sokoto State,” Mohammed said.
