By Rotimi Odofin
Lokoja, July 25, 2026 – The Kogi State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with development partners, has held its 2026 Second Quarter (Q2) Performance Dialogue aimed at reviewing the state’s health sector performance and strengthening strategies for improved healthcare service delivery.
The dialogue, which took place at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Conference Room of the State Ministry of Health in Lokoja, brought together key stakeholders in the health sector to assess critical health indicators, identify service delivery gaps, and develop practical recommendations for improved health outcomes across the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Maji Enoch, commended participants for their commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the state.
He urged stakeholders to engage in frank, robust, and solution-driven discussions, stressing that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration remains committed to ensuring that quality healthcare services are accessible to every resident of Kogi State.
According to him, the Governor is interested in understanding areas where progress has been made as well as identifying challenges requiring urgent intervention to ensure that no citizen is left behind in accessing quality healthcare services.
Speaking earlier, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Johnson Aiyedohbon, described the quarterly dialogue as an important platform for reviewing health sector performance, assessing key indicators, identifying existing gaps, and making evidence-based recommendations capable of strengthening healthcare delivery across the state.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of development partners, the UNICEF Representative, Dr. Olumide Adeyeye, commended the Kogi State Government for sustaining regular performance review meetings, describing the initiative as “the right decision and the right path.”
He praised the quality of deliberations and urged relevant authorities to give prompt attention to the recommendations emerging from the dialogue to further improve health service delivery.
The technical session was facilitated by the State Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Desk Officer, Dr. Emmanuel Bola Jonah, alongside the State Health Information Officer, Mr. Briahmo Sule.
Participants reviewed the state’s health sector performance for the second quarter of 2026 and adopted key recommendations aimed at addressing identified gaps, scaling up high-impact interventions, strengthening primary healthcare services, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and increasing healthcare service utilisation across the state.
The dialogue reaffirmed Kogi State’s commitment to the implementation of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), which promotes accountability, collaboration, evidence-based planning, and improved health outcomes.
Stakeholders at the meeting emphasised that regular performance dialogues remain one of the most effective mechanisms for evaluating progress, addressing implementation challenges, and accelerating the delivery of quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare services to the people of Kogi State, while contributing to the achievement of national health sector goals.
The meeting was attended by Chief Executive Officers of health agencies, directors, programme managers, and representatives of development partners, including WHO, UNICEF, CIHP, AHF, ARF, Sightsavers, and the Sultan Foundation, among others.This version follows a conventional newspaper format with a strong lead, balanced attribution, logical flow, and an objective tone suitable for publication in print or online news media.
