Salma Anas-Kolo, senior special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on health, has commended civil society organisations for their significant contributions to reforms recorded in Nigeria’s health sector.

Ms Anas-Kolo gave the commendation in Abuja at the Centre for Well-being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions’ fifth-anniversary celebration.

She said CSOs had remained at the centre of ideas that helped drive the health sector agenda, adding that their efforts had “made the impossible possible”.

According to her, some of the most remarkable progress in the health sector resulted from the voices and energy of civil society, noting that the government alone cannot deliver sustainable reforms.

“Today, we are enjoying the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which represents one per cent of the consolidated revenue for health. We have not even fully achieved the one per cent, yet the impact is visible,” she said.

She asked CSOs to intensify advocacy at the sub-national level, stressing that states must allocate a fair percentage of their budgets to health.

“That should be the next loud voice. State governments must allocate at least two per cent of their budget to health. That is the advocacy we want to hear,” she said.

Ms Anas-Kolo said strong CSO advocacy also led to the development of Nigeria’s procurement plan and work plan for funding family planning commodities. She urged civil society groups to continue championing health sector transformation to ensure Nigeria meets its Universal Health Coverage targets before 2030.

She also called on state and local governments to be more intentional in their contributions, adding that CSOs must help define clear roles and responsibilities for sub-national actors.

“CSOs must ensure adequate resource allocation and policies that place citizens, especially women and girls, at the core of governance,” she said.

Health minister Ali Pate said the CWINS anniversary provided an opportunity for reflection and renewed commitment. Mr Pate noted that Nigeria is facing the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiency.

Mr Pate said the government had strengthened nutrition governance and integrated nutrition into national development priorities.

“Our partnership with CWINS and others has enabled inclusive programme design, stronger data generation and expanded nutrition interventions for school-age children, adolescents, women and the elderly,” he said.

He urged CSOs to leave the event with renewed determination to ensure every child has access to proper nutrition. Mr Pate, who delivered the keynote address, said the government was deepening financing for nutrition at multiple levels, adding that primary healthcare must remain central to equity.

Mr Pate said Nigeria recognises nutrition as a multisectoral responsibility and must prioritise the most vulnerable groups, especially children in LGAs with high cases of wasting and stunting.

Mahmud Mustafa, head of mission at CWINS, outlined the organisation’s future plans, saying it would scale up its community impact, expand its national presence, and establish a research and learning hub.

He added that the organisation would intensify capacity-building and expand access to trusted health information across more communities.

(NAN)