The Adamawa State Government has announced plans to expand its leadership, governance, and management capacity-strengthening program for health workers statewide. This decision was made to ensure that different cadres of health workers, particularly frontline personnel, benefit from the training. The program aims to strengthen their leadership and management capabilities, ultimately improving healthcare services in the state.
The Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr. Suleiman Saidu Bashir, disclosed this information during a meeting with a team from Development Governance International (DGI) Consult. The team, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Gafar Alawode, had conducted a Local Government and facility Leadership, Governance and Management Capacity (LGMC) training in Song Local Government Area. Bashir emphasized the need for collaboration with UNICEF and DGI to work out the modalities for scaling the training.
The program is being implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with DGI Consult, under the Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC) project. This project is a component of the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) project, jointly implemented by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The goal is to enhance the leadership, governance, and management capacities of health workers in Adamawa State.
Dr. Gafar Alawode commended the Adamawa government for its decision to scale up the capacity-strengthening initiative. He stated that the state’s commitment provided an opportunity to build on the progress made so far and achieve impact on a larger scale. Alawode expressed DGI’s readiness to work with the government on modalities for expanding the program.
The state Commissioner for Health, Chubado Muhammed Jada, expressed the government’s readiness to work with UNICEF and DGI to ensure the success of the health workforce capacity-enhancement project. The DGI team had visited the state to train health workers from two supported facilities in Song LGA, ward development committee chairmen, and LGA RMNCAH+N supervisors. Participants were trained in basic leadership, governance, and management competencies.
The training focused on developing solutions to gaps identified through a baseline assessment conducted at the beginning of the project. It also emphasized problem-solving using the whole-part-rest approach. The program aims to equip health workers with the necessary skills to address healthcare challenges in their respective areas.
Adamawa State is also collaborating with DGI on Human Resources for health policy reforms, including the health workers’ exit replacement standing order and rural posting allowance. The state government hopes to include the training in its 2027 annual operational plan and take further steps towards funding its implementation.
Key points
- The program aims to strengthen leadership and management capabilities of health workers in Adamawa State.
- The training will be expanded to all 21 local government areas and health facilities across the state.
- The program is being implemented in collaboration with UNICEF and DGI Consult under the ELGMC project.
