President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Sector-wide Coordinating Office-Programme Management Unit (SCO-PMU) domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare aimed at ensuring efficient, transparent, and accountable management of external grants mobilized towards the implementation of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
This was made known today, in a state house press release issued by the Special Adviser to the President, Media & Publicity Ajuri Ngelale.
According to the press statement, the Sector-wide Coordinating Office-Programme Management Unit (SCO-PMU) will report to a Steering Committee/Ministerial Oversight Committee chaired by the Minister, including the Minister of State, Permanent Secretary; Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and relevant development partners.
The SCO-PMU will serve as the secretariat and delivery unit for the NHSRII and is to be headed by a national coordinator (NC).
The functions of the SCO-PMU include programme management, monitoring, and evaluation, engagement, and supervision of Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) for NHSRII programmes, and fiduciary management, among others.
The NHSRII is a bold and transformative initiative aimed at improving both population health outcomes and the country’s pool of human capital — with the primary objectives of saving lives, minimizing physical and financial pains, and ensuring the health of all Nigerians.
So far, $2.2 billion has been mobilized in external financing to catalyze the implementation of the NHSRII through financial commitments from various development partners.