Gombe gov approves release of N605m to scale up NSHIP to cover all LGA’s

The sum of N605m has been released to the Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to enable it to scale up the implementation of the Nigeria States Health Investment Project (NSHIP) in a determination to reposition the health sector in the state.

The approval for the release of the amount was given by the Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa to ensure that the remaining five Local Government Areas of the State, namely: Kaltungo, Nafada, Shongom,  Funakaye and Kwami key into the program.

The approval of the counterpart funding for NSHIP is regarded as an unprecedented move, where a state is using domestic resources to fund a Performance-Based Financing (PBF) programme.

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Inuwa Yahaya had earlier during a meeting with a World Bank delegation jointly led by Task Team Leaders, Mr Gyuri Fritche and Fatima Abubakar Mustapha, pushed for the scaling up of the project to the remaining 5 LGAs so that the entire populace of the state will enjoy the benefit therein.

The two parties agreed to escalate it on a 40%/ 60% basis with Gombe providing N605 Million while the World Bank provides the balance of 1.5m dollars from the International Development Association, (IDA) resources for the NSHIP project allocated to the state.

The Nigeria PBF programme started in 2011 with 3 States of Adamawa, Ondo and Nasarawa before it was scaled up in 2015 to all the remaining 5 States of North East following the Boko Haram insurgency in the region and by the design of the additional financing for the project, the states of Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba are to cover only 50% of their LGA’s while Borno and Yobe cover 100% of their’s.

The successful implementation of the project in the focal states has demonstrated that the PBF reforms produce encouraging results, thereby becoming the preferred approach to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

NSHIP is a World Bank project currently being implemented in 8 states in Nigeria and in Gombe State, the project is currently being implemented in 6 out of the 11 Local Government Areas, including Akko, Billiri, Gombe, Yamaltu Deba,  Balanga and Dukku, where 85 Primary Healthcare centres have been successfully revitalised.

By the design of the project, Gombe State is expected to cover only 50% of the state with the World Bank credit earmarked for the project as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the governor.