COVID-19: Nigeria-British Don Calls for Multilateral Partnership

By Dike Onwuamaeze

A British-Nigerian Founder of the TEXEM UK, Dr. Alim Abubakre, has called on multi-sector organisations in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries to forge a partnership that would enable them to respond effectively to national epidemics and global pandemics.

Abubarkre, who is also a lecturer at the Coventry University in United Kingdom, said the partnership should be focused on building community resilience for withstanding and recovering from the pandemic, adding that leadership and prudent management of resources are required for the success of the collaboration.

The university don’s scholarly article was recently published in the International Public Management Journal (IPMJ) with the title: ‘Modeling the Barriers to Multi-stakeholder Collaboration for COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa’. The IPMJ is comparable to the Havard Business Review.

“The collaborations should be focused on building community resilience for withstanding and recovering from the pandemic situation.

“This approach is often referred to as collaborative health emergency preparedness.

“It should also remind us of the need for countries to pursue a multi-sectoral collaboration for the planning and coordination of an effective response to pandemics.

“Using available resources most efficiently and equitably is an essential consideration for countries seeking to meet the enormous financial requirements to respond to the coronavirus crisis,” he said.

The don added that the critical actors in this partnership include policymakers, public health workers, civil society organisations, public sector administrators, academics, religious and community leaders.

Abubakre pointed out that it is unfortunate that studies on obstacles to effective collaboration were focused on developed countries like the United States and Sweden.

He, therefore, urged African leaders and policymakers in the health sector to realise that developed countries contexts are quite different from developing ones that have remained “relatively under-researched by academic scholars.”

The expert said the COVID-19 pandemic should serve as a reminder of the shared vulnerability of all people no matter which part of the world they might be residing in.

According to him, “It should also remind us of the need for countries to pursue a multi-sectoral collaboration for the planning and coordination of an effective response to pandemics.”

Abubakre said healthcare leaders and policy makers should enhance their comprehension of the contextual barriers and their interaction with one another other.

He said: “Knowledge of the obstacles is crucial as these hindrances could create challenges for different actors from the public and private sectors as well as civil society and non-governmental organisations.”

The lecturer said lack of knowledge could prevent actors from effectively preparing and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and planning for future health emergencies.

Abubakre said his scholarly article that was published, IPMJ, “offers actionable insights into how to strategically lead in a crisis for policymakers, business leaders and directors in the third sector.

“Specifically, this article underscored the importance of having a systemic and holistic approach to solving health, and by extension, security, poverty, educational and social cohesion pandemics.

“All these pandemics are ravaging Nigeria and some parts of the developing world because government initiatives and corporate social responsibility projects are done in silos.

“And, this process appears to make those efforts too little too small.

“The private sector, government, third sector, and multilateral organisations should have a joined-up and multi-stakeholder approach to solving societal challenges.

“A strategy that countenances multi-stakeholders expectations will enhance organisations’ potential and capability to advance prosperity for all, optimising performance and fostering national cohesion for global benefit,” he said.