By Prosper Okoye
Communities across Nigeria are revitalising dilapidated primary healthcare centres, turning them into fully equipped facilities, civil society leaders told journalists at a one-day media roundtable in Abuja on Wednesday.
Lovelyn Agbo Gabriel, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at the Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN), said community-led monitoring has been crucial in improving healthcare delivery. Residents track resources, flag gaps, and accompany teams on advocacy visits, ensuring clinics receive needed support.
Gabriel highlighted a primary healthcare centre in Dutse, Jigawa State, which was small, dilapidated, and lacked electricity. Advocacy led to its inclusion in the stateโs upgrade plan. The renovated facility now has multiple wards, a solar system, running water, and improved infrastructure.
โThe project shows how communities can strengthen their health systems when they understand their roles and take ownership,โ Gabriel said, emphasising that knowledge of health issues and community action drives better outcomes.
The initiative, funded under the COVID-19 Response Monitoring/Results Support for Strengthening Health Systems (C19RM/RSSH) grant, covered 21 states. Each civil society network, including TB Network and NEPWHAN, oversaw seven states, demonstrating how local engagement can transform neglected healthcare centres.
Dr Ismaeel Danesi, NEPWHAN Programme Manager, warned that many primary healthcare centres operate with just one to three staff despite large patient loads. โLong queues discourage patients, reducing health-seeking behaviour and the quality of care,โ he said, urging governments to recruit more personnel and address facility gaps. He added that the C19RM grant, supported by the Global Fund, ends in December, emphasising that domestic resource mobilisation will be crucial to sustain recent gains.
Teresa Laraba Jatau, TB Network Programme Manager, said about 270 facilities across 21 states benefited from community advocacy. CLMTs mobilised philanthropists, addressed staffing shortages, and rebuilt clinics. She cautioned that challenges remain, including limited medicine supplies and fees for services that should be free.
The roundtable highlighted a consensus: community advocacy has improved Nigeriaโs primary healthcare infrastructure, but staffing shortages and resource gaps continue to threaten service delivery nationwide.
