The Enugu State Government has initiated the development of Annual Operational Plans to be incorporated into the 2026 health sector budget.
This effort aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), a nationwide programme focused on overhauling the health system through enhanced infrastructure and broader health insurance coverage.
During a four-day training workshop on NHSRII Leadership and Health Systems Strengthening for Managers, which commenced on Monday in Enugu, the State Commissioner for Health, Emmanuel Obi, explained that the NHSRII is a comprehensive, sector-wide initiative designed to unify all stakeholders in the health sector under a single coordination framework to track and improve sector-wide performance indicators.
The training is themed, “Towards Rational, Realistic, Pragmatic and Comprehensive Plan that informs Health Budget for the People of Enugu State”.
According to Obi, “Through the State-Wide Approach (SWAp) reform, the Federal Ministry of Health is trying to bring together every single player in the health sector under one coordinating umbrella to monitor the sector indices across board.”
He stated that the SWAp approach will provide the country’s health sector with a unified plan, a centralized monitoring and evaluation system, and a well-coordinated framework.
“This workshop is the beginning of the step down of a capacity building for master trainers who are involved in the entire health sector of Enugu State towards producing a one-sector annual operational plan that will be integrated into the 2026 health sector budget for Enugu State,” Obi added.
The training participants include senior and programme managers, officials from various agencies, and key stakeholders in Enugu State’s health sector.
Commissioner Obi urged the participants to approach the exercise with utmost commitment, emphasizing the importance of developing a detailed plan that will guide the state’s health budget.
Francisca Ewoh, the SWAp Desk Officer for Enugu State, highlighted that the core objective of the SWAp programme is to promote coordination and consistency within Nigeria’s health system.
“What is happening in the health sector, unlike before, is no longer business as usual, whereby the partners come in with their own activities. SWAp wants to ensure that states prioritise activities based on evidence-based,” she said.
Mrs. Ann Oguejioffor, Head of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Enugu State Ministry of Health, stated that the training is aimed at aligning and streamlining the state’s planning process in preparation for the 2026 health sector budget.
“With the SWAp programme, the state is going to have one plan in the sense that what the partners are offering should not duplicate with what the state government is doing,” she added.
The creation of Annual Operational Plans is anticipated to enhance the state’s health sector by fostering collaboration among all stakeholders toward a unified objective.
The plan is also expected to prevent fragmentation and overlap within the health system, while promoting the efficient allocation of resources.
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