Posted on: Tue 11-11-2025

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his bold and strategic investments in the state’s health system development.

 

The commendation came during the official handover of vehicles, equipment, and training materials donated to the Enugu State Colleges of Nursing at Park Lane, Enugu, and Awgu. The donations, made under the Equipment Support for Health Training Institutions (ESHTI) initiative, included two 15-seater Toyota Hiace commuter buses, two Mikano diesel generators, 145 desktop computers, five suction machines, eight sets of 3D electronic boards, 13 Sharp three-in-one photocopiers, and numerous laboratory, training, nursing, and hostel equipment.

 

Speaking at the handover ceremony held at the Government House, Enugu, the WHO Country Director and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, said the donations followed a comprehensive infrastructure readiness assessment jointly conducted by WHO and the Enugu State Government.

 

Ursu praised Governor Mbah for setting a remarkable example in health system strengthening through deliberate and far-reaching reforms.

 

“WHO commends your administration for the bold and strategic investment in health system strengthening. Under your leadership, Enugu State has made remarkable progress in health infrastructure expansion and primary healthcare revitalisation,” he said.

 

He highlighted major interventions, including the construction of 260 Type 2 Primary Health Centres across all political wards, the solarisation of health facilities, and the ongoing construction of the quaternary Enugu International Hospital, envisioned to position the state as a medical tourism hub.

 

Ursu also lauded the state’s digital transformation initiatives in the health sector, such as the digitisation of primary and secondary healthcare facilities, the deployment of over 360 tablets with internet and Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, and the institutionalisation of real-time data dashboards for clinical and operational monitoring.

 

“These efforts are expected to reduce patient wait times, improve quality of care, and enable evidence-based decision-making,” he stated.

 

The WHO representative further commended the state government’s investment in human resources for health, citing the approval of 2,200 health worker recruitments, with 450 already engaged. He also noted the progress in securing accreditations and integrating the state’s nursing schools into the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) system.

 

Also speaking, FCDO Nigeria Health Advisor, Dr. Ebere Anyachukwu, applauded Governor Mbah’s transformative leadership in the health sector.

 

“We have been observing the efforts Enugu State has made under your leadership to transform healthcare delivery. We are proud to partner with Enugu State and WHO in this initiative, which will enhance the quality and effectiveness of the health workforce,” he said.

 

In his response, Governor Mbah expressed gratitude to WHO and FCDO for their support, describing the donations as timely and aligned with his administration’s vision of eradicating poverty and growing the state’s economy sevenfold.

 

“We know that all this will depend on the well-being of our people. As they say, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. These tools will strengthen our health training institutions and help us achieve our target of training at least 3,000 healthcare professionals annually,” Mbah stated.

 

He assured that his administration would continue to invest in health infrastructure, revealing plans to construct additional hostels and classrooms in the nursing colleges, including the Oji River campus. He also disclosed that two new six-floor blocks were nearing completion at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital to deliver world-class healthcare to residents.

 

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Dr. Yomi Jaye, described the WHO and FCDO support as an endorsement of the ongoing transformation of nursing education in Enugu State, noting that the institutions had been on the brink of losing accreditation before the Mbah administration’s intervention.

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