Animashaun Salman
The Sokoto State Government has unveiled sweeping reforms aimed at transforming healthcare delivery, with a strong focus on rural access, workforce expansion, and infrastructure upgrades.
Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto made this known while declaring open the 8th Sokoto State Council on Health meeting held Tuesday at the Command Guest Inn in Sokoto.
He described the Council as the highest policy-making platform on health in the state, noting that it provides an opportunity to assess performance, identify challenges, and chart a strategic path toward improved health outcomes.
Rural Posting Policy, Mass Recruitment
At the heart of the reforms is a two-year mandatory rural posting policy designed to address the shortage of healthcare workers in underserved communities.
According to the governor, over 1,500 nurses and midwives have already been recruited and deployed to rural areas, with an additional incentive of 10 per cent of their basic salary to encourage service in hard-to-reach locations.
He further disclosed that the state has made significant progress in recruiting about 2,400 community health workers in line with national primary healthcare guidelines.
“This bold initiative is already strengthening service delivery at the grassroots,” he said.
Meanwhile, our correspondent reports further that partnership with the Teaching Hospital to bridge the gap in specialist care has also received the endorsement of the state government which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.
The partnership, the governor explained, will enhance mentorship, technical supervision, and capacity building for secondary health facilities, particularly in rural areas, through structured rotations of medical experts.
On infrastructure boost across the state, the administration approved the renovation and equipping of 15 General Hospitals across Sokoto, including facilities in Dogon Daji, Kebbe, Wurno, Bodinga, Silame, Binji, Illela, Gwadabawa, Yabo, Shagari, Sabon Birni, Tangaza, and Goronyo.
In addition, more than 160 primary healthcare centres have been upgraded to improve access to essential services at the grassroots level.
The government has also released over N300 million as counterpart funding to support ongoing health programmes and attract further investments from development partners.
In its deliberate push on alignment with its national health agenda, the Sokoto Governor pointed out that the state’s health reforms align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
He noted that Sokoto recently emerged as the best-performing state in implementing resolutions from the 65th National Council on Health, as presented at the 66th edition held in Calabar.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Faruk Umar Abubakar, assured that the meeting would focus on strengthening human resources, improving coordination, and enhancing accountability in resource utilisation.
He disclosed that the state would unveil a Citizens’ Voice Survey to incorporate public feedback into health policy planning.
While acknowledging improvements in immunisation coverage and gradual declines in maternal and child mortality, the commissioner stressed the need for data-driven decision-making.
“Reliable statistics remain essential for tracking progress, identifying gaps, and ensuring accountability,” he said.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the Sokoto Government’s health sector push further received the endorsement of Development Partners who commended the various encompassing reforms.
While speaking on behalf of United Nations Population Fund, Dr. Yusuf Alayande commended the state government’s integration of healthcare reforms into its Nine SMART Innovative Agenda, even as he revealed that the agency is supporting Sokoto with over N4.6 billion, in 2026.
It also announced a Community Midwifery Scholarship Scheme targeting 500 young women from rural communities.
The beneficiaries, he said, will receive full scholarships and be deployed to underserved areas upon graduation to address the shortage of skilled birth attendants.
UNFPA also acknowledged the state government’s N30 million contribution in 2025 for the procurement of child-spacing commodities, which it matched with an additional N50 million worth of supplies.
On its Commitment to universal health coverage, the meeting, themed: around accelerating universal health coverage, brought together stakeholders from government, development agencies, the academia, and private sector.
The governor further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a resilient, equitable, and people-centered healthcare system.
“We will continue to implement strategic reforms and targeted interventions that will improve health indices and ensure that our people have access to quality and affordable healthcare services,” he vowed.
The two-day council meeting is expected to produce actionable resolutions to guide the state’s health sector priorities in the coming year.
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