Abuja: The Federal Government has announced a shift from emergency response to long-term sustainability of critical health systems strengthened under the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) Grant as the programme closes. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said this at the C19RM Grant Closeout Meeting on Thursday in Abuja. Represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Vivian Okafor, Pate said the grant had evolved beyond an emergency intervention into a strategic investment in Nigeria’s health system.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the grant strengthened surveillance systems, laboratory networks, oxygen infrastructure, infection prevention and control systems, supply chains, logistics platforms, and community structures nationwide. Pate emphasized that these investments have enhanced Nigeria’s capacity to detect health threats early, protect healthcare workers, and sustain essential services during periods of disruption. He noted that the most important lesson from C19RM is the necessity for emergency investments to result in sustainable systems. The program’s enduring legacy includes stronger institutions, improved governance systems, enhanced workforce capacity, better preparedness, and deeper partnerships across the health sector.
The government is prioritizing sustainability through domestic health financing reforms, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and initiatives under the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. As the program concludes, the focus is shifting from implementation to sustainability. The closeout marks a transition from emergency response to preparedness, project implementation to institutional ownership, and short-term interventions to long-term resilience.
In her remarks, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, described the grant as a critical investment that strengthened Nigeria’s response to COVID-19. Ilori highlighted improvements in surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, oxygen infrastructure, infection prevention and control, supply chains, community engagement, and emergency preparedness. She noted that collaboration among government institutions, development partners, implementing agencies, healthcare workers, and communities was one of the program’s greatest achievements.
Dr. Adebobola Bashorun, National Coordinator of the National HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and STIs Control Program (NASCP), pointed out the visible footprints left across the health sector by these investments, citing improvements in oxygen systems, genomic laboratories, and pharmaceutical warehouses as evidence of the program’s lasting impact. He emphasized the need for Nigeria to sustain the progress made and ensure preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Executive Secretary of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), Mr. Ibrahim Tajudeen, commended principal recipients and implementing partners for successfully delivering the program. Tajudeen highlighted that Nigeria benefited significantly from deliberate investments in oxygen therapy, public health laboratories, and pharmaceutical-grade warehouses. He urged stakeholders across the public and private sectors to take ownership of the investments and ensure continued value delivery to Nigerians.
The Global Fund Country Portfolio Manager for Nigeria, Dr. Jean-Thomas Nouboussi, described C19RM as an extraordinary mobilization of resources supporting investments in laboratories, surveillance, oxygen systems, and supply chains. She expressed pride in the accomplishments but also eagerness to understand what worked and what must be sustained and scaled. Nouboussi added that lessons from the program would guide future investments in pandemic preparedness and resilient health systems in Nigeria.
Dr. Yemisi Ogundare, representing Jhpiego, expressed satisfaction in supporting the documentation of lessons and achievements recorded under the grant. She urged stakeholders to leverage the systems and structures established through the program in responding to future disease outbreaks and health emergencies. Mrs. Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, emphasized that sustaining the investments was essential for stronger health systems and improved healthcare outcomes. She insisted that the infrastructure and systems developed under the program should not deteriorate following the grant’s closure.
Presentations at the meeting revealed that about 345 million dollars was invested through the grant, with a 97 percent fund absorption rate across implementing agencies. The program facilitated the installation of 73 oxygen plants, 12 cryogenic oxygen tanks, oxygen piping in 44 tertiary hospitals, and the training of more than 600 biomedical engineers. It also strengthened disease surveillance through the training of more than 40,000 surveillance officers, upgraded six zonal reference laboratories, and supported the establishment of a national genomic sequencing laboratory. The C19RM Grant is a special emergency funding initiative established by the Global Fund to help countries respond to COVID-19 while protecting essential HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria services. In Nigeria, the initiative evolved into a broader health systems strengthening and pandemic preparedness program implemented through government agencies and development partners.