The Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully secured $2.2 billion in external funding to support the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII). This announcement follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a Sector-wide Coordinating Office-Programme Management Unit (SCO-PMU), which will be situated within the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
A statement released by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, emphasized the goal of this initiative: to ensure efficient, transparent, and accountable management of the external grants earmarked for the NHSRII.
The statement, titled ‘President Tinubu Approves Establishment of Programme Management Unit for Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,’ noted that the $2.2 billion in external financing has been mobilized through commitments from various development partners.
The SCO-PMU will report to a Steering Committee/Ministerial Oversight Committee led by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. Other members include the Minister of State, the Permanent Secretary, and officials from the Ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, alongside relevant development partners.
As the secretariat and delivery unit for the NHSRII, the SCO-PMU will handle several key functions, including programme management, monitoring and evaluation, engagement and supervision of Independent Verification Agents, and fiduciary management.
President Tinubu has appointed Dr. Muntaqa Sadiq as the National Coordinator of the SCO-PMU. Dr. Sadiq brings over 17 years of experience in public health, impact investing, investment banking, and climate financing. His previous roles include Head of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, CEO of the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, Head of the Nigeria Energy Transition Office, and Private Sector Engagement Adviser at the World Bank.
Dr. Sadiq is currently a doctoral candidate in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He holds an M.Phil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge and a medical science/MBBS degree from Imperial College, London.
The NHSRII was launched on December 12, 2023, following its adoption by the National Council on Health in November 2023. The Presidency has described the NHSRII as “a bold and transformative initiative aimed at improving both population health outcomes and the country’s human capital.” The primary objectives of the initiative are to save lives, reduce physical and financial suffering, and ensure the health of all Nigerians.
