PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of the Sector-wide Coordinating Office-Programme Management Unit (SCO-PMU), which will be housed in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
In a statement released yesterday by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), stated that this initiative aims to promote efficient, transparent, and accountable management of external grants allocated for the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
The SCO-PMU will report to a Steering Committee/Ministerial Oversight Committee led by the Minister, which will also include the Minister of State, the Permanent Secretary, representatives from the Ministries of Finance, and Budget and Economic Planning, as well as relevant development partners.
Acting as the secretariat and delivery unit for the NHSRII, the SCO-PMU will be directed by a national coordinator.
The responsibilities of the SCO-PMU will encompass program management, monitoring and evaluation, engagement and oversight of Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) for NHSRII programs, and fiduciary management, among other duties.
As part of this initiative, the president has appointed Dr. Muntaqa Umar Sadiq as the National Coordinator of the SCO-PMU.
Dr. Umar Sadiq brings over 17 years of experience in public health, impact investing, investment banking, and climate financing across the health, finance, climate, and energy sectors.
He has held positions such as the Head of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Chief Executive Officer of the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, Head of the Nigeria Energy Transition Office, and Private Sector Engagement Adviser at the World Bank.
Currently, Dr. Umar Sadiq is a doctoral candidate in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
He also holds an M.Phil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge and a medical science/MBBS degree from Imperial College, London.
The Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) was launched on December 12, 2023, following the adoption of a sector-wide policy by the National Council on Health in November 2023.
The NHSRII aims to enhance population health outcomes and bolster the nation’s human capital, with the main goals of saving lives, alleviating physical and financial distress, and ensuring the health of all Nigerians.
So far, $2.2 billion in external financing has been secured from various development partners to facilitate the implementation of the NHSRII.