Dutse, Nigeria — R4D is supporting Nigeria’s Jigawa State government to improve routine immunization. The state government recently conducted a funding landscape study in partnership with the MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity (M-RITE) project, a consortium of R4D and partners funded by USAID. The results of the study were presented in a workshop held in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, where stakeholders validated findings, co-created solutions, and developed an action plan based on the research findings.
Challenges and opportunities identified by the study include:
- Reducing reliance on donor funding will help to ensure sustainable funding for routine immunization.
- Jigawa state allocates 17 percent of its budget to health care, the second highest allocation after education, and there is an opportunity to increase funding for routine immunizations within the health budget.
- Local Government Areas (LGA) are responsible for routine immunization through Primary Health Centers, but there is not a dedicated budget for routine immunization activities in LGA plans.
- There is insufficient coordination between health officers at the LGA and state levels.
- Limited experience with the health budgeting processes and a general lack of knowledge about procedures during the annual budget preparation are hindering the efficient utilization of available domestic funding mechanisms.
Feedback from workshop participants
Dr. Salisu Muazu, the Permanent Secretary of the Jigawa State Ministry of Health said, “The government recognizes the importance of a transparent and partnership-oriented approach. We commend MOMENTUM’s commitment to actively involving us in this funding landscape study, from inception to this dissemination workshop. We look forward to validating findings and co-creating solutions that will benefit our people.”
Dr. Usman Ahmed, Deputy Director of the Planning Research and Statistics Department at the Ministry and co-investigator in the study said, “This is an effort that we are proud to have played a part in. While these findings highlight significant challenges, they also unveil numerous opportunities for action.”
And Jose Gonzalez, Senior Program Officer at R4D and the Activity Lead, emphasized that “the co-creation workshop is a pivotal step in developing a capacity-building approach for Routine Immunization activities in Jigawa state. The objective is to enhance the ability of LGA officials to plan and budget for routine immunization operational costs in Jigawa state. This initiative aims to mobilize domestic resources to reach zero-dose and under-immunized children and older populations, ultimately contributing to the financial sustainability of routine immunization in the state.”
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