UNICEF, EU Launch Leadership Capacity Initiative to Strengthen Adamawa Health System

 Funmi Ogundare

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, has launched a leadership, governance and management capacity-building initiative in Adamawa State aimed at strengthening health institutions and improving Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services.

The initiative, which began with a three-day workshop recently in Yola, forms part of the Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC) project under the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) project jointly implemented by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The four-year SARAH project is being implemented in Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States to strengthen health systems and improve access to quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition, as well as Gender Based Violence (GBV) services.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, UNICEF Health Systems Specialist, Dr. Emmanuel Emedo, noted that effective leadership is central to improving health system performance, noting that technical expertise alone is insufficient for delivering quality healthcare.

“It is important that health professionals understand how to lead because when we lead better, we deliver better results. As health professionals assume greater leadership responsibilities, they must also develop the competencies required to strengthen institutions, manage resources effectively and improve health outcomes,” he stated.

Emedo noted that the programme comes at a time when governments are expected to assume greater ownership of health programmes amid changing global development financing. 

He commended Adamawa State for the progress made in strengthening its health system, expressing confidence that the new initiative would help sustain those gains.

The workshop followed a baseline assessment conducted earlier this year across key health institutions in Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States, which identified significant leadership, governance and management gaps affecting RMNCAH+N and GBV programmes. 

The findings informed the development of an evidence-based capacity strengthening plan.

Participants at the workshop included senior government officials, programme managers, local government representatives, heads of health institutions, development partners and other stakeholders.

Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, Dr. Gafar Alawode, said although Adamawa had recorded progress in reproductive, maternal and child health, challenges in leadership, coordination, financing and management systems continued to limit programme performance.

According to him, the project is designed not merely as a training programme but as an intervention to build competent leaders capable of strengthening institutions, improving resource utilisation and enhancing access to quality healthcare.

“Our ambition is to make Adamawa State a national example of what committed leadership at the state and local government levels can achieve in strengthening primary healthcare and improving health outcomes,” Alawode said.

During the sessions, participants received training in strategic planning, financial management, human resource management, coordination and data-driven decision-making. 

They also developed a draft RMNCAH+N vision for Adamawa State and explored practical planning and accountability tools, including a results framework for monitoring programme performance.

The workshop also introduced an RMNCAH+N leadership fellowship and Community of Practice to provide ongoing mentoring and technical support while promoting peer learning among participants.

Representing the Adamawa State Commissioner for Health, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Zirra Mathias Bubanani, commended UNICEF and its partners for supporting institutional capacity development and urged participants to apply the knowledge gained while mentoring colleagues across the health sector.

Stakeholders also agreed on a series of follow-up actions, including facility-level cascade training in selected local government areas, development of an RMNCAH+N coordination framework, public expenditure review and financial modelling, creation of a performance dashboard, among others.