CSOs Seek to Develop Accountability Framework for Nigeria’s Health Sector

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in the country’s health sector have taken steps to develop accountability framework that will help ensure transparency and value for money spent on projects and programmes in the sector.

The initiative is aimed at fortifying Nigeria’s health security preparedness and response to emergencies.

The CSO coalition met yesterday under auspices of Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), and in collaboration with Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), African Health Budget Network (AHBN) and Gem-Hub Initiative to review existing accountability frameworks for health security and COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria with a view to strengthening them.

Under the initiative being spearheaded by the VNDC, the CSOs sought to establish mechanisms for ensuring transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in the management of health security resources and interventions.

While welcoming participants, Founder of Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), Mrs. Chika Offor, said there was urgent need for a robust accountability framework to address gaps in Nigeria’s health security architecture.

According to her, “By developing an accountability framework, we aim to strengthen the country’s ability to safeguard the health and well-being of its citizens.”

Offor said that the framework would include such issue like, governance structures, resource allocation mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and citizen engagement and feedback mechanisms.

She added the framework would draw ideas from international best practices to adapted to the Nigerian context.

“The recent global health crises have underscored the importance of proactive measures to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging health threats.

“The collaborating CSOs, representing diverse expertise and perspectives, include prominent health advocacy organisations, research institutions, and community-based groups.

“The coalition plans to engage with relevant government agencies, such as the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to align with existing health security policies and strategies,” she said.

A Health Economist and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the African Health Budget Network (AHBN), Mrs. Maimuna Abdullahi, emphasised the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in strengthening health security.

“The development of an accountability framework requires collective efforts from civil society, government, and other stakeholders,” Abdullahi said.