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13 October 2017
MOU Signing Ceremony between Niger State and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Niger State government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen and transform Primary Healthcare in the state. The MOU was signed by State Governor Abubakar Sadiq Sani Bello and Dr. Chris Elias, President of Global Development for the BMGF. Also present to witness the ceremony were the Minister for Health, Professor Isaac Adeole; the Niger State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso; the Etsu Nupe and Chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar; Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib; and Dr. Paulin Basinga, BMGF Country Director for Nigeria.
Emphasizing the State’s position on Primary Healthcare, Governor Sani Bello stated that his administration placed priority on primary health care as it was the bedrock of health care delivery and “the way forward in our quest for a functional health care delivery system”. This position and focus were fundamental to the State’s collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation”. Commending Niger State, Dr. Chris Elias of the Gates Foundation said that the “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation values Niger State’s independent progression on PHC transformation and aims to support the state through this system’s transformation with a heavy focus on sustainability and institutionalization”. A basket fund under the MoU valued at 1.29 billion naira agreement is expected to create 2500 jobs in the state and lead to significant improvements in its primary healthcare system over the next four years.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewoye who was also present at the ceremony reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to reviving and strengthening the Primary Healthcare System to bring affordable quality service to the people. He commended the partnership between the Niger State Government and the Foundation, stressing that the MoU aligns with the vision of the Federal Government’s goal of repositioning the health sector towards greater efficiency and improved service delivery.
HSDF (alongside other implementing partners) will be responsible for executing the grant by providing technical support on implementation. HSDF’s technical focus will be on Human Resources for Health, Service Delivery Planning, Organizational Capacity Development, and Strategy Development.
