The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has named Sokoto, Jigawa, Zamfara, Taraba, Delta, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory as the leading states in carrying out major resolutions from the 2024 National Council on Health.
This was revealed by the Ministry’s Director of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics, Kamil Shoretire, on Wednesday while presenting the implementation status report at the ongoing 66th NCH meeting in Calabar.
The NCH meeting, themed “My Health, My Right: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage Through Equity, Resilience, and Innovation,” brings together key stakeholders to review and advance health policies nationwide.
As the top policy-making and coordinating body for Nigeria’s health sector, the NCH is responsible for shaping and executing national health programmes.
The report shows that Abia, Kogi, Bauchi, Enugu, and Osun have made slower progress in delivering on the health sector commitments endorsed at last year’s Council.
“Topping the response and the resolution implementation is Sokoto state, followed by Jigawa state, Zamfara State, Taraba state, Delta state, FCT, and Plateau.
“Also, Kebbi is coming from behind, followed by Abia, Kogi, Bauchi, Enugu, and Osun,” he stated.
The 65th NCH, held in Maiduguri in 2024, approved 58 memos and key resolutions geared toward strengthening the health workforce, improving nutrition, reinforcing primary healthcare, and advancing maternal and child health.
Shoretire explained that although the Council issues resolutions annually, many states still struggle to convert policy decisions into practical programmes.
He highlighted that these execution gaps pose a major obstacle to national progress and called for stronger technical capacity at the subnational level.
Shoretire encouraged states to collaborate with academia, research bodies, and policy experts to turn resolutions into workable plans that can speed up implementation.
He also urged Commissioners for Health and other stakeholders to intensify advocacy efforts in their states to ensure that NCH resolutions are clearly understood, properly adopted, and sufficiently funded.
Reviewing national progress over the past year, he noted that, on average, only about one-third of Council resolutions have been implemented, putting the national implementation rate at roughly 31 per cent.
“On average, about one-third of the resolutions from the Council have been implemented nationwide. The national implementation rate is around 31 per cent, and the process is still ongoing because the resolutions were not intended to be completed within a one-year cycle,” he added.
He further stated that with increased funding, heightened attention to health, and stronger involvement from governors, commissioners, and sectoral teams, states are expected to accelerate progress in the coming years, improving the overall response rate.
Addressing concerns over the slow pace of implementation, Shoretire cited several contributing challenges.
Some issues emerged after state budgets were already finalised, preventing immediate allocation of funds. He also noted that the resolutions had not been widely circulated or sufficiently advocated for, and that limited financing further hindered their execution.
“Collectively, these factors affected the pace of implementation across the states. However, with ongoing coordination, advocacy, and adequate resources, states will accelerate their efforts and achieve better results in implementing health-related solutions,” he said.