ADAMAWA ADVOCATES TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN HEALTHCARE AS EU-SARAH GCC DELEGATION VISITS STATE PLANNING COMMISSION
The Adamawa State Government has called on the Governance and Coordination Committee (GCC) of the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH) Initiative to leverage technology, particularly in information management, monitoring, and accountability, to enhance healthcare service delivery across participating states.
The Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Professor Kaletapwa George Farauta, made the call during the opening of the two-day National Governance and Coordination Committee (GCC) Meeting on the EU-SARAH Initiative held at the Government House, Yola.
Represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Neido Geoffrey Kofulto, the Deputy Governor stated that the meeting underscored the collective commitment of governments and development partners to improving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health outcomes in Nigeria.
She highlighted the significant progress recorded in Adamawa State through sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, capacity building of health workers, and community-based interventions aimed at reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality. She also expressed appreciation to the European Union and implementing partners for their unwavering support in strengthening the state’s health system.
The meeting brought together high-level representatives from the European Union, UNFPA, UNICEF, the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and government officials from Adamawa, Kwara, and Sokoto States. Adamawa’s delegation included the Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Planning Commission, Dr. Mary B. Paninga, the State Project Coordinator of the EU-SARAH Initiative, Mohammad Chubado, the Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Bashir Suleiman, alongside representatives of relevant ministries, departments, and agencies.
The Adamawa State Government reaffirmed its commitment to the successful implementation of the EU-SARAH Initiative, noting that its objectives align with the state’s vision of ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare services for women, children, and adolescents.
Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Kwara and Sokoto States, NPHCDA, UNICEF, and UNFPA commended the remarkable achievements of the EU-SARAH Initiative in expanding access to quality reproductive and adolescent healthcare services and pledged their continued collaboration towards sustaining the programme’s gains.
As part of the activities of the National GCC Meeting, members of the Governance and Coordination Committee paid a courtesy and technical visit to the Adamawa State Planning Commission, where they were warmly received by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Mary B. Paninga.
During the visit, Dr. Paninga showcased the Commission’s innovative Citizens’ Eyes and Ears Technological Hub Centre, an advanced digital platform designed to strengthen citizen engagement, project monitoring, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making across the state. She explained how the dashboard enables real-time monitoring of government and development partner projects, promotes accountability, and supports effective planning through data-driven insights.
The delegation was taken through several flagship projects being monitored on the dashboard, including the One Stop Centre at the Women Development Centre, Jimeta, Fufore Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), Mbula Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), and the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Yola. The projects demonstrate the state’s commitment to leveraging digital innovation to improve service delivery, monitor infrastructure development, and enhance accountability in the implementation of health programmes.
The visitors commended the Adamawa State Planning Commission for pioneering the technology-driven monitoring system, describing the Citizens’ Eyes and Ears Dashboard as a model innovation capable of strengthening project oversight, improving transparency, and supporting evidence-based governance. They encouraged the Commission to continue expanding the platform to cover more sectors and development interventions across the state.
The visit further reinforced the shared commitment of the Adamawa State Government and its development partners to harnessing digital technology as a catalyst for improving healthcare delivery, accelerating development outcomes, and ensuring that investments under the EU-SARAH Initiative deliver lasting benefits to communities across the state.
