Theme: Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII)
Protocols
- Today’s gathering is a historic milestone as we continue to journey towards a healthier and more prosperous Nigeria. This Summit is convened to serve as a flagship “social leadership” pillar of the Renewed Hope Health Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare continues to take concrete actions, moving beyond just policy conversations as we today engage our apex gatekeepers as key enablers of our health reforms through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which aligns Federal, State, and partner commitments toward Universal Health Coverage. It is therefore my singular honour and priveledge to welcome everyone especially our first lady Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu and other top functionaries to this summit.
- I warmly welcome our traditional fathers and religious leaders from across the 4 corners of Nigeria to this very important occasion, an important mechanism for two ways dialogue in our commitment to govern and transform the Nigerian healthcare system through inclusive leadership, constructive feedbacks and periodic engagements across all strata of the Nigerian society. I thank you all most sincerely for honouring our invitation.
- A critical component of our public health agenda is combatting food insecurity especially in hard to reach communities. The National Community Food Bank Program, championed by Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, which we are proud to see come into fruition today demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the first lady to achieve zero hunger in our country. This initiative promotes the health vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda by:
● Addressing the Nutrition Gap as a vital complementary initiative to preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare, recognizing that good health outcomes are driven by good nutrition.
● Safeguarding our children’s cognitive and physical development a critical investment in the future of our country.
● Fostering Community Accountability by requiring community leadership for uptake, the Food Bank ensures that the most vulnerable Nigerians have access to essential nutrition, thereby reducing the burden of preventable illness. - We are highly honored and inspired by the presence and the motherly leadership of Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the number 1 agenda of Mr. President which is food securiry. The first lady’s unparallel commitment to the welfare of the Nigerian family is clearly being demonstrated by her many committed and passionate interventions through the Renewed Hope Initiative. This Flag-off of the Advocacy and Awareness Campaign for the National Community Food Bank Program is another demonstration of her deep devotion to the health and welbeing of the average Nigerian. On behalf of all of us in the health sector, I thank you ma, our chief public health advocate for this high level intervention to reinforce the nourishment of our citizens as a central matter in Nigeria’s social agenda.
- In setting the agenda and the stage for this important National dialogue, let me state the objectives of this engagement that we will benchmark ourselves against at the end of this National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summitt. The goal is to transition from government-led reform to community-owned healthcare system for better outcomes by:
● Building Awareness & Ownership in order to deepen our traditional and religious leaders’ understanding of the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the operationalization blueprint for Mr. President’s health vision under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
● Strengthening Community Engagement by amplify your roles as our religious and traditional leaders in promoting trust, accountability, and drive the demand of healthcare services especially for public health interventions like routine immunization, screening services, safe motherhood, family planning nutrition and other areas to secure family health,
● Securing Strategic Partnerships: To formalize a high-level commitment between the government and our “gatekeepers of community norms”. - Without any contradiction, evidence shows that when Traditional and Religious leaders are engaged meaningfully in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health interventions, service uptake increases (e.g., immunization, antenatal care), health outcomes improve (e.g., reduced vaccine refusal, greater contraceptive use), and trust and accountability are strengthened, especially where formal health systems have limited penetration.
- As an example, during the 2024 polio outbreak response in Nigeria, traditional leaders resolved 65% of reported vaccine refusals across 17 northern states. In Adamawa and Kebbi, resolution rates reached 92 % and 84 %, respectively. Through TRLs’ involvement in community engagement and mapping, programs enumerated 926,007 under-five children, and vaccinated 851,929 (≈92 %) of them across high-risk wards; an extraordinary coverage outcome.
- Therefore, to ensure this meeting is productive, I will like to humbly invite you to engage in the conversation through the following channels:
● Structured Plenary & Feedback: We look forward to your contributions as the ministry and its relevant agencies present its priorities, specifically identifying community barriers that hinder health progress.
● Panel Dialogue: During Session II, we look forward to your reflections and shared experiences from the frontlines of your communities.
● Defining Action Pathways: to focus on establishing clear, agreed roles that can be taken back to mobilize our people
● Commitment to the Communiqué: The day will culminate in the adoption of a Summit Communiqué, capturing our collective, accountable actions for follow-through. - Your Excellencies, our royal fathers, eminent religious leaders, distinguish guests, ladies and gentlemen, as I close this welcome address, let me highlight that the expectation is that at the end of this summit, every leader (emirs, Kabiyesis, Pastor, Reverend, GO) in this room will leave not just as a guest, but as a Strategic Partner and Champion of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the profound vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to treat the health of every Nigerian “as a matter of urgent right”
- Once again, welcome to the first National Traditional and Religious Leaders Health Summit, another first under President Tinubu to strenghten community engagement and accelerate Nigeria’s journey towards universal health coverage.
- And so with peace and plenty, Nigeria shall be blessed. Thank you for your kind attention.
