Posted on: Thu 23-01-2025

Social advocacy and accountability outfit, BudgiT, has partnered with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) to improve primary healthcare in Nigeria.

The Memorandum of Understanding which was signed in Lagos will open a new era of accountability and efficiency within the primary healthcare space utilizing a three pronged approach; community engagement, local government participation and state government intervention

While BudgiT will channel its technology and data driven platform with its broad network of trained volunteer community-based respondents to track and monitor interventions across Primary Health Centers in Nigeria, PSHAN will engage BudgiT’s data to deliver targeted interventions to Primary Healthcare facilities across Nigeria.

Speaking on the importance of the partnership in revitalizing PHCs across the nation, Country Director, BudgiT, Mr. Gabriel Okeowo, noted that community engagement and igniting a sense of ownership in communities where interventions are made, is an integral aspect of catalyzing social change.

“Community participation is at the center of the PHC design. PHCs are designed to be in every political ward and the political ward is the closest political structure to the people. PHCs are meant to be owned by the community. The most intervention we have seen is from community participation and at BudgiT, we have built the capacity of the community to take ownership.

“We have developed a portal where we now encourage citizens to share their experiences from Primary Healthcare Centers whether good or bad which would help improve the facility. This MoU that we are signing will not just be an MoU. The execution of it will improve lives, improve communities and will give us a sense of fulfillment in what we do.”

On her part, Managing Director and CEO , PSHAN, Dr. Tinuola Akinbolagbe, stated that the partnership aims to encourage and build public trust by using data to champion need based interventions.

“If we are customizing solutions, we have to use evidence-based information. We need data. That is not our core area and that is where we see the partnership with BudgiT working.

“If the private sector gives us funding after we’ve justified why we need them, how do we know which PHCs to start with? How do we know which local governments to start with? BudgiT already has an existing infrastructure where we can get that information. And based on that information, it can guide which region needs these interventions the most.”

Both partners are unanimous in their resolve to evenly distribute their interventions to centers across rural and urban communities in the country.

Okeowo said: “There are existing structures in place to ensure that our interventions is not concentrated in one area at the expense of another. That we are doing and I believe PSHAN is also doing.”

In her response, Akinbolagbe explained that part of PSHAN’s programmes include building of PHCs to fortify them with the needed human capital to run efficiently and independently.

SOURCE: THIS DAY NEWSPAPER

---

---