Abia gets World Bank commendation on health sector reforms

The Abia State Government has received strong commendation from the World Bank for its transformative strides in healthcare delivery, with the indication that the state is fast emerging as a model for other states across Nigeria.

The delegation from the World Bank, led by Olumide Okunola, senior health specialist, made this known during a courtesy visit to Governor Alex Otti, in his office recently.

Okunola disclosed that the team was in the state on a Public Financial Management Mission focused on assessing how financial systems support effective healthcare service delivery, particularly at the primary healthcare level.

He said that Abia State was carefully selected as a case study, due to its evolving reputation in strengthening healthcare systems and financing basic services.

“We are here from the World Bank team on a mission to the states. We call it a Public Financial Management Mission, as it relates to health services delivery.

“We selected Abia, as a place to understudy how the state is structured to provide the necessary financial support for basic healthcare services,” Okunola stated.

He noted that the delegation engaged extensively with top government officials, including Commissioners for Health, Budget and Finance, as well as the Secretary to the State Government, adding that the team also conducted on-site assessments of primary healthcare facilities across the state.

Okunola expressed profound satisfaction with the findings of the mission, describing the state’s efforts as extraordinary.

“We are impressed with what the state government is doing.

“There is clear evidence of massive investments in renovating healthcare facilities, recruiting healthcare workers, and improving remuneration to attract and retain skilled professionals,” Okunola noted.

He added that the World Bank team has made recommendations aimed at sustaining the current momentum and ensuring long-term efficiency in service delivery, as well as reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to sustaining its partnership with Abia State across critical sectors.

“We believe that Abia has set a commendable example. There are indeed lessons here that other States can learn from, and we are taking these insights with us,” he added.

“The World Bank is already engaged with the State in several areas, including health, education, and water resources. As long as the State continues to show results and seeks partnership, we remain willing and committed to supporting its development agenda,” Okunola assured.

Governor Otti, in his response, expressed appreciation to the World Bank team for its encouraging assessment and constructive engagement.

The governor reiterated that his administration’s investments in health and education were deliberate and rooted in a firm belief that human capital development remains the cornerstone of sustainable growth.

“We are not doing these things just because we made promises. We started by allocating 15 and 20percent of our budget to health and education respectively. We will continue to maintain that priority, because, we believe that is where the bulk of resources should go,” Governor Otti stated.

Otti further highlighted the state’s ambitious initiative to rehabilitate 200 primary healthcare centres, noting that while the timeline was aggressive, the focus remains on quality and sustainability.

“We insisted on minimum standards, availability of consumables, qualified personnel, and functional infrastructure.

“That is why we improved compensation for healthcare workers and took deliberate steps to strengthen the workforce,” Governor Otti explained.

The governor however, expressed concern over the low utilisation of public health facilities, by citizens, attributing it to years of neglect that eroded public trust.

“People are not used to functional primary healthcare centres. Many still resort to unqualified traditional healers, sometimes with fatal consequences.

“We must rebuild that confidence and make our facilities both accessible and attractive,” Otti stated.

The governor also underscored the importance of integrating digital solutions into governance and service delivery, noting that the state is working towards a unified system across sectors.

“We are adopting an ‘all-of-government’ approach, integrating healthcare, education, and budgeting systems through digitalisation to improve efficiency and transparency,” Otti added.

He assured the delegation of the state’s readiness to align with the recommended frameworks and maintain openness to continuous learning and improvement, while expressing gratitude to the team for its willingness to support Abia State.