U.S. pledges to work with Nigeria on education, health outcomes
By Chukwuma Muanya
THE United States government has reinstated its commitment to continue working with Nigeria to improve health and education outcomes. The U.S. said it is focused on improving the policy and legislative environment at the federal level, and social sector services at the state and community levels.
Acting Mission Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Anne Fleuret, at the wind down operations of USAID funded Enabling Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), TB and Social Sector Environment (ENHANSE) and Community Participation for Action in the Social sector (COMPASS) projects held recently in Abuja said: "Since 2004, USAID has contributed immensely to developing health and social sector policies and services in Nigeria. It was a bilateral agreement between the U.S. government and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria implemented by the ENHANSE and COMPASS projects.
"About 40 new policies have been developed; over 8,000 health workers and 25,000 teachers trained; more than 100 health facilities upgraded; and over N4.6 billion leveraged as cost share funds.
"We are committed to continue to work with Nigeria to improve health and education outcomes. Six years age we designed COMPASS and ENHANSE to empower communities. We envisioned so many things and we have substantially achieved that vision. We have provided support from the community level to the legislative level."
Chairperson of the occasion and Chairperson House Committee on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Saudatu Sani, said: "Access to good education and health is right of Nigerians not privilege. We in the parliament will make sure that Nigerians get this right. Before now, people were embarrassed due to HIV/AIDS and hid causes of death of relatives. But because of ENHANSE project that has stopped, this institution came out boldly to address that."
Sani said: "I cannot accept that ENHANSE and COMPASS are winding up. I believe they are coming with another name. What happens to the people you have empowered. For the first time in the budget we have something on maternal mortality. Before it was not so. We still need these programmes. We hope you will Christine it with another name."
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Salamatu H. Suleiman, expressed the Ministry's gratitude for the partnerships and successes recorded working with ENHANSE and COMPASS projects in touching lives of Nigerians especially women and children. "We also appreciate the supports of the United States Government through its other implementing partners, and hope the supports would continue," she said.
Suleiman assured that the ministry has put in place mechanisms to sustain these successes mentioned. "The various technical committees have plans for periodic reviews of the policy documents developed through the collaborative efforts of these organisations with the ministry. There are plans also to step down trainings received from both ENHANSE and COMPASS projects to other staff and our states counterparts," she said.
ENHANSE supported the attachment of staff to the Federal ministries of Health and women affairs and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), who created public-private partnerships to leverage funds from the private sector to expand HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care and support activities.
COMPASS, an integrated health and basic education project, worked in 51 Local Government Areas in five states: Bauchi, Nassarawa, Lagos, Abuja and Kano. Their mandate was to build the capacity of community organisations to demand for, and deliver high quality services in health and basic education.
U.S. government has reinstated its commitment to continue working with Nigeria to improve health and education outcomes. The U.S. said it is focused on improving the policy and legislative environment at the federal level, and social sector services at the state and community levels.
Acting Mission Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Anne Fleuret, at the wind down operations of USAID funded Enabling HIV and AIDS, TB and Social Sector Environment (ENHANSE) and Community Participation for Action in the Social sector (COMPASS) projects held recently in Abuja said: "Since 2004, USAID has contributed immensely to developing health and social sector policies and services in Nigeria. It was a bilateral agreement between the U.S. government and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria implemented by the ENHANSE and COMPASS Projects.
"About 40 new policies have been developed; over 8,000 health workers and 25,000 teachers trained; more than 100 health facilities upgraded; and over N4.6 billion leveraged as cost share funds.
"We are committed to continue to work with Nigeria to improve health and education outcomes. Six years age we designed COMPASS and ENHANSE to empower communities. We envisioned so many things and we have substantially achieved that vision. We have provided support from the community level to the legislative level."
Chairperson of the occasion and Chairperson House Committee on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Hon. Saudatu Sani, said: "Access to good education and health is right of Nigerians not privilege. We in the parliament will make sure that Nigerians get this right. Before now, people were embarrassed due to HIV/AIDS and hid causes of death of relatives. But because of ENHANSE project that has stopped, this institution came out boldly to address that."
Sani said: "I cannot accept that ENHANSE and COMPASS are winding up. I believe they are coming with another name. What happens to the people you have empowered. For the first time in the budget we have something on maternal mortality. Before it was not so. We still need these programmes. We hope you will Christine it with another name."
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Salamatu H. Suleiman, expressed the Ministry's gratitude for the partnerships and successes recorded working with ENHANSE and COMPASS projects in touching lives of Nigerians especially women and children. "We also appreciate the supports of the U.S. government through its other implementing partners, and hope the supports would continue," she said.
Suleiman assured that the ministry has put in place mechanisms to sustain these successes mentioned. "The various technical committees have plans for periodic reviews of the policy documents developed through the collaborative efforts of these organisations with the ministry. There are plans also to step down trainings received from both ENHANSE and COMPASS projects to other staff and our states counterparts," she said.
ENHANSE supported the attachment of staff to the Federal ministries of Health and women affairs and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), who created public-private partnerships to leverage funds from the private sector to expand HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care and support activities.
COMPASS, an integrated health and basic education project, worked in 51 Local Government Areas in five states: Bauchi, Nassarawa, Lagos, Abuja and Kano. Their mandate was to build the capacity of community organisations to demand for, and deliver high quality services in health and basic education.
