The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), in collaboration with development partners, has launched a coordinated initiative to strengthen states’ preparedness against Ebola, cholera, Lassa fever and other infectious diseases, underscoring the critical role of governors in safeguarding public health across the country.
The initiative, anchored on the validation of the NGF Health Security Scorecard, is designed to help state governments assess gaps in disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response, while providing evidence-based data to guide policy, planning and investments in health security.
Speaking with journalists at the validation workshop in Abuja, the Executive Director of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, Dr. Nanlop Ogburuke, said strengthening health security at the sub-national level was critical because state governments remain at the forefront of responding to disease outbreaks.
“There is little that can be achieved without the states. Health security can only be effective when implemented at the sub-national level. If we strengthen state capacities and empower leaders to make informed policy and investment decisions, we will be better positioned to prevent and respond to outbreaks such as cholera, Lassa fever, Ebola and other infectious diseases,” she said.
Ogburuke said although development partners would continue to support government efforts, state governments must take ownership of health security initiatives to ensure sustainable improvements in public health.
She noted that the NGF provides a strategic platform for governors to review assessment reports, identify critical gaps and take evidence-based decisions that would strengthen disease surveillance and emergency response systems across the country.
According to her, representatives from the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and development partners participated in the validation exercise to review key health security indicators and agree on measures to improve preparedness nationwide.
Also speaking, Dr. Oyeladun Okunromade of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the Health Security Scorecard would enable governments to identify weaknesses in state health security systems and establish an accountability framework for tracking progress.
“We are here to assess the gaps that exist at the state level and provide an accountability framework to track health security performance across the sub-national level,” she said.
The Executive Director of Programme Partnership, Dr. Ahmad Abdulwhab, said the scorecard would enable states to evaluate their level of preparedness and use the findings to prioritise interventions and strengthen emergency response systems.
“The scorecard helps assess each state’s level of preparedness and provides the data needed for informed decision-making on priority actions and improvements,” he said.
On his part, Dr. Chijioke Okorie of the World Bank reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in strengthening its health security architecture through sustained investments in state-level capacity for disease prevention, detection and response.
Participants at the workshop described the Health Security Scorecard as a key accountability tool that would provide governors with state-specific data to improve decision-making, strengthen health systems, advance Universal Health Coverage and enhance Nigeria’s readiness to tackle future public health emergencies.
