The Adamawa government has received nine fully equipped primary healthcare centres constructed and renovated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by Deputy Governor Kaletapwa Farauta, officially received the facilities on Tuesday at Gyawana, Lamurde Local Government Area.

Mr Fintiri said the facilities were part of the project titled “Accelerating Access to Basic Services for Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees, and Host Communities in the North-East Region.”

“Under the initiative, four new centres were constructed, while five were renovated, upgraded, and equipped for 24-hour service delivery.

“The facilities are located at Gombi, Lamurde, Hong, Mubi-North, Mubi-South, Maiha, Song, and Michika Local Government Areas,” he said.

The governor noted that the projects, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), were equipped with solar energy and solar-powered water supply systems to ensure uninterrupted electricity and access to clean water.

He commended IOM, JICA, and other development partners for their continued collaboration, urging them to scale up similar interventions to reach more displaced persons, returnees, and vulnerable host communities.

Mr Fintiri reiterated the state government’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure across all levels, saying 68 PHC projects were currently being implemented across the 21 LGAs of the state.

Earlier, Sharon Dimanche, IOM chief of mission in Nigeria, thanked the government and people of Japan, JICA, and Adamawa for their partnership and support.

Ms Dimanche said the health facilities, supported through a $4.4 million grant, would provide essential services including maternal and child healthcare, psychosocial support, and treatment for gender-based violence survivors.

“The initiative has also trained 219 frontline healthcare workers and supported livelihood activities to strengthen local capacity,” she added.

In his remarks, Suleiman Bashir, the executive secretary, Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, appealed for ambulances to aid referrals and emergency response at the centres.

Also speaking, Felix Tangwami, Commissioner for Health, represented by a director in the Ministry of Health, Titus Takurde, urged communities to take ownership of the facilities and ensure their sustainability.

The district head of Gyawana, Aguso Bamaiyi, commended the efforts of IOM and JICA and appealed for intervention to tackle the spread of hepatitis currently affecting the area.

(NAN)