The Katsina State Government has commenced the development of an operational plan for the health sector for the year 2026.
The Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Adamu Musa-Funtua, disclosed this during a four-day capacity building workshop organised by the ministry for health leaders, managers, and other critical stakeholders.
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According to the report the workshop, co-organised by the Sector Wide Approach (SWAP), has “Health System Strengthening and Planning” as its theme.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Ahmed Tijjani-Hamza, said the workshop was to prepare and develop the state’s 2026 Operational Plan (AOP) for the health sector.
According to him, the 2025 operational plan currently being implemented in the state is exceptional and robust.
He added that “this exercise is to kickstart the process of developing the 2026 annual operational plan, in conformity with the national health reforms.
“We are all aware that the Federal Government has introduced many health reforms under the auspices of the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
“This initiative looked at some pillars to strengthen the health system. And the implementation of this renewal initiative is supposed to be through SWAP.
“The exercise is aimed at addressing the issue of fragmentation of services and harnessing resources for implementation of health interventions with the aim of improving health outcomes.”
The commissioner noted that the 2026 operation plan would align with the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Initiative and the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint of the Federal Government.
Musa-Funtua explained that officers who attended the national training were expected to step down and share their experiences with the participants, “so we’ll have a robust 2026 operational plan hinged on the health sector strategic blueprint and build our future blueprint of the state.”
He expressed hope that the participants would harness experiences and expertise in the development of the plan
Earlier, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) in the ministry, Dr Abdulrashid Yusuf, had urged participants to focus on addressing challenges facing the system.
He said “let us focus on the strategies that will help us address the numerous challenges facing our health system, ranging from resource constraint and service delivery gaps by prioritising interventions based on how efficiently they can improve health outcomes.
“Let us also give special consideration to marginalised or underserved populations’ use of health facilities and services.
“We should also consider the capacity to implement interventions in terms of infrastructure and resources available.”
A representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Moses Sunday, expressed hope that at the end of the workshop, participants should deliver on the expectations.