By Rotimi Odofin
LOKOJA — The Kogi State Government has reinforced its commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery with the successful conclusion of a two-day Joint Annual Review (JAR) and 2026 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) Mid-Year Review, a strategic exercise aimed at evaluating the performance of the health sector, enhancing accountability and charting a sustainable path towards universal health coverage.
The high-level review brought together government officials, development partners, donor agencies, civil society organisations and health programme implementers to assess progress recorded across the sector, identify implementation gaps and develop practical strategies for improving service delivery and maximising the efficient use of available resources.
Declaring the exercise successful, the Honourable Coordinating Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Maji Enoch, said the review aligns with the strategic direction of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in promoting evidence-based planning and improved healthcare service delivery across the country.
He noted that the review provides a comprehensive framework for assessing achievements, measuring institutional performance and identifying priority interventions capable of strengthening the state’s healthcare system.
According to him, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration has continued to prioritise the health sector through sustained investments, strategic reforms and policy support aimed at improving access to quality and affordable healthcare for all residents.
“The Ministry remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring that every resident of Kogi State has access to quality, affordable and efficient healthcare services through strategic planning, collaboration and continuous improvement,” he stated.
Earlier, the State Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Desk Officer, Dr. Bola Emmanuel Jonah Kelvin, explained that the review was designed to evaluate the state’s progress towards achieving its health sector objectives while strengthening coordination among ministries, departments, agencies and implementing partners.
He said the exercise also examined how available resources were utilised to ensure transparency, accountability and alignment with government priorities, noting that while significant progress had been recorded, the review equally identified critical challenges requiring urgent intervention to further improve healthcare delivery across the state.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Johnson Aiyedogbon, stressed that the ultimate objective of the review was to ensure that all stakeholders remained aligned with the state’s strategic health plans and implementation framework.
He said the exercise would further strengthen collaboration among health institutions and agencies while accelerating progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kogi State through coordinated planning and improved programme implementation.
In his goodwill message, the representative of the National SWAp Desk Office at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Abraham Ahmadu, commended Kogi State for the impressive progress recorded in the health sector, describing the state’s performance during the review as encouraging.
He praised the commitment of the Kogi State Government under the leadership of the Honourable Coordinating Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, to implementing reforms that continue to improve healthcare delivery and public health outcomes.
Dr. Ahmadu assured participants of the National SWAp Office’s continued technical support and collaboration with Kogi State to sustain ongoing reforms and accelerate the attainment of national health sector goals.
The review featured comprehensive presentations by state health institutions, agencies, specialist and general hospitals, primary healthcare facilities, development partners, non-governmental organisations and implementing partners, who highlighted their achievements, operational challenges and priorities for the period under review.
Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), civil society organisations, donor agencies and other key stakeholders participated in the exercise and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Kogi State in building a stronger, more responsive and sustainable healthcare system capable of delivering quality health services to all citizens.This version is structured in a front-page newspaper style, with a stronger headline, a compelling lead, smoother transitions, and a more authoritative journalistic tone while preserving all the key facts from your original report.
