Funmi Ogundare
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, has strengthened leadership, governance and management capacities of health sector stakeholders in Adamawa, Sokoto and Kwara States to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH+N) and gender-based violence (GBV) programme outcomes.
The intervention followed the completion of a series of state-level leadership, governance and management capacity strengthening workshops organised under the Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC) project.
The workshops, held in the three state capitals, brought together senior government officials, heads of health institutions, programme managers, local government representatives, development partners and other stakeholders to identify practical solutions to leadership and health system challenges.
The ELGMC project is implemented by DGI Consult as part of the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) Project, jointly implemented by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Speaking during one of the workshops, UNICEF Health Systems Specialist, Dr. Emmanuel Emedo, explained that stronger leadership was essential to translating investments and technical expertise in the health sector into improved outcomes.
According to him, technical expertise alone was not sufficient to deliver effective and efficient healthcare, stressing the need for health professionals taking up leadership positions to acquire the competencies required to manage institutions and resources effectively.
“It is important that health professionals understand how to lead because when we lead better, we deliver better results. Technical expertise alone is not enough for effective and efficient healthcare delivery,” he stated.
Emedo added that strengthening leadership capacity had become increasingly important as governments were expected to take greater ownership of health programmes amid changes in the global development financing landscape.
The workshops adopted an interactive, competency-based and solution-focused approach, enabling participants to examine real health system challenges and develop practical responses.
Key areas covered included strategic planning, coordination, results-based management, financial management, human resources for health, resource optimisation and the use of data for decision-making.
Participants across the three states also developed a shared RMNCAH+N vision and examined the use of a draft RMNCAH+N results framework developed during the workshops to translate priorities into measurable results, strengthen accountability and guide programme implementation.
In Kwara State, where significant improvements have been recorded in maternal and child health, stakeholders stressed the need to strengthen leadership and management capacity at local government and facility levels to sustain the gains and close existing gaps.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, acknowledged the support of UNICEF and development partners, emphasising the need to consolidate the state’s progress while addressing gaps in governance, leadership, resource management and quality service delivery.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, said strengthening the management competencies of health workers, particularly officers-in-charge, would be critical to translating the state’s health vision into measurable results.
The Permanent Secretary of the Adamawa State Ministry of Health, Zirra Mathias Bubanani, who represented the Commissioner for Health, urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired within their institutions and support colleagues to improve leadership, governance and management practices.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar Wurno, also commended UNICEF and DGI Consult for the intervention and expressed the state government’s commitment to implementing the project’s priorities.
The Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, Dr. Gafar Alawode, said the ELGMC project was designed to go beyond conventional training by equipping health leaders with the competencies and systems required to solve practical problems and improve institutional performance.
“A lot of people have trained as professionals in the health sector, but many have not had formal training in leadership. This programme is problem-solving and competency-based,” he said.
He explained that the project focused on real challenges confronting the health sector, adding that sustaining gains in healthcare required continued attention to leadership, governance and management, particularly in institutions where systems and processes remained weak.
He said the intervention was informed by evidence from baseline assessments, which identified both institutional strengths and gaps across the three states.
“It is not just about conducting a training. It is about developing competent leaders and managers who can solve critical problems in the health sector, strengthen systems, optimise available resources, and ultimately improve access to quality healthcare,” he added.
Following the workshops, the ELGMC project commenced mentoring and technical support for the application of the knowledge, tools and approaches introduced during the training.