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The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), convened the IMPACT Project Review Meeting with National and State Teams to assess implementation progress and strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) systems across participating states in Nigeria.
The high level meeting brought together representatives from the NPHCDA, World Bank, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), State Ministries of Health, State Primary Health Care Boards, Project Managers, and Project Accountants to review implementation activities, assess financial and contractual commitments, and develop strategies for sustainable PHC delivery.
The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in his keynote address titled “Strengthening PHC: A Critical Determinant for Achieving UHC,” emphasized the need for continued investment in PHC infrastructure and modernization. He highlighted Lagos State’s introduction of purpose built PHC facilities with improved ventilation systems, solar-powered infrastructure, infection prevention and control designs, and decentralized isolation capabilities.
The Commissioner also stressed the importance of sustainable health financing through the domestication of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, mandatory health insurance initiatives, and stronger integration between public and private healthcare systems.
Speaking on malaria elimination efforts, Lagos State presented findings from a large-scale malaria diagnostic and surveillance study, which revealed significantly lower malaria prevalence than previously assumed and emphasized the importance of evidence-based diagnosis through Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs).
Delivering the goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Kemi Ogunyemi, welcomed participants to Lagos and reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to health sector reforms and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
She noted that the IMPACT Project has significantly contributed to PHC infrastructure upgrades, improved malaria diagnostics, service integration, accountability, and systems strengthening across Lagos State.
In his presentation titled “Joint Leadership Dialogue: The Lagos State Experience,” the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ibrahim Akinwunmi Mustafa mni, explained how Lagos State adopted a deliberate political and governance engagement strategy involving Local Government Chairmen, the Ministry of Local Government, development partners, and technical experts to improve ownership and financing for PHC.
According to Dr Mustafa, the engagement process resulted in improved political commitment to PHC financing, enhanced collaboration between the State and Local Governments, and the signing of a draft compact to strengthen PHC governance and sustainability.
Earlier in her welcome address representatives of the NPHCDA, Dr. Amina commended Lagos State for successfully organizing the meeting within a short notice period and encouraged all delegates to actively participate in the two-day engagement.
The Team Lead (TTL), Dr. Onoriode, highlighted the objectives of the meeting, which included reviewing PHC upgrade projects across states, assessing outstanding obligations and timelines, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and promoting collaboration between State and Local Governments for improved healthcare delivery.
During the meeting, participating states presented updates on implementation progress, contractual obligations, outstanding payments, and project completion timelines under both the immunization and malaria components of the IMPACT Project.
At the end of deliberations, states were directed to immediately update implementation trackers, improve accountability and financial reporting mechanisms, strengthen collaboration with Local Governments, and intensify supportive supervision activities to ensure sustainability of PHC interventions nationwide.
Participants also resolved that Lagos State’s engagement and financing model should be documented and adapted by other states in line with their individual realities and governance structures.
The meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment of stakeholders toward strengthening Primary Health Care systems and accelerating Nigeria’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage.