Kaduna State has made history as the first in Nigeria to adapt the National Ward Development Committee guideline to its own context. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency announced this breakthrough at the end of a three-day workshop.
The Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board organised the gathering with support from EngenderHealth and partner organisations. Participants spent the time validating a version of the guideline built specifically for Kaduna's healthcare landscape.
Joseph Oteri Wuya leads disease control efforts at NPHCDA. He praised Kaduna's government for taking this pioneering step during the workshop's closing session.
"Kaduna is the first state to domesticate this guideline to match its realities," Wuya told attendees. He called the adapted document a reference point other states should follow.
Wuya noted that the process brought together diverse voices. Government officials, traditional leaders, civil society groups, and community representatives all participated in the review.
The consultant Clara Ejembi received special commendation for her technical work. She guided the entire adaptation exercise from start to finish.
Participants identified critical implementation gaps during their review. Limited functionality of Village Development Committees in some communities emerged as a key challenge.
The group made recommendations to ensure fairer community representation within the Ward Development Committee structure. They also proposed ways to strengthen accountability at grassroots level.
Wuya cautioned that having the document alone wouldn't guarantee success. Effective rollout across Kaduna and actual on-the-ground implementation would be equally important.
NPHCDA pledged continued backing for Kaduna's health improvement efforts. According to Wuya, the agency remains committed to helping reduce maternal and child deaths in the state.
Five technical working groups had examined all 18 chapters of the national guideline before the workshop. Their focus included governance, accountability, community voice, sustainability, operations and coordination within Kaduna's primary healthcare system.
Prof. Abubakar Jamoh heads the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board.
His Director of Community Health Services, Hajiya Nafisa Musa Isah, delivered remarks on his behalf.
Isah thanked everyone who contributed to the workshop's success. She highlighted facilitators, development partners and stakeholders for their dedication throughout the process.
She called the workshop a major milestone for strengthening community participation. Better accountability in primary healthcare delivery would follow, she argued.
EngenderHealth's role in coordinating the effort received special mention. Other development partners also got recognition for backing the adaptation work.
