Non-state Actors And Nigeria At 62 -By Farid Suleiman & Juliana Okoro

Health sector, Non-Governmental organizations

It’s that time of the year again when we gather to commemorate our country’s independence. We’ve progressed from a British colony to an independent state over the past 62 years. The degree and rate of growth we’ve attained is primarily due to the joint commitment of Nigerians on several fronts.

While we are often reminded of the enormous contributions made by people in government, notable personalities, and business entities to the growth of our country, we rarely hear about those made by non-state players such as local and international non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society groups. They work tirelessly to enhance the well-being of the Nigerian populace, and this contributes greatly to national development. I believe they deserve not just our acknowledgement, but also to be recognised for their contributions to our nationhood.

In Nigeria, the activities of non-state actors are prominent in areas of advocacy, healthcare, education, agriculture, food security, environment, and the like. They seek to promote the economic, social and cultural development of our dear country. This is especially true when we consider the fact that NGOs exist to fill the unfilled vacuum in several sectors. 

Focusing on the health sector, the dicey situation necessitates the support of non-governmental organisations. For instance, as reported by daily trust recently, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) revealed that Nigeria currently has a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1 doctor to 4000-5000 patients, which is below the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended ratio of 1 doctor to 600 patients. 

The healthcare system in Nigeria is poorly developed. The quality of health services delivered is poor and remains a significant concern. Most Primary Health Centers don’t have the medical equipment to deliver quality healthcare. Some PHCs don’t have access to power supply. 

Despite such a diverse set of issues, non-state actors have persisted in collaborating with governments at all levels to keep Nigeria’s health system running to a great extent.

The Nigeria Energy Conference in Lagos, for example, had experts bemoan how the country’s erratic power supply undermines the health sector. In one of the sessions themed Sustainable Energy for Improved Healthcare Delivery, moderated by Atef Fawaz the Director of Operations at eHealth Africa, they highlighted some recommendations, one of which is the adoption of renewable energy as a cheap and effective alternative that has the ability to deliver power to health institutions while conserving funds that would have been spent on fuel for other uses.

Interestingly, the likes of “We Care Solar,” a renewable energy non-profit is doing great in that regard. It provides alternative power supply options to health facilities. Another example of an NGO’s participation in national development worthy of mention is the Kano State Government’s utilisation of a mobile health platform called Kano Connect to manage its health care delivery processes. The platform, designed by eHealth Africa has enabled the aggregation of all health infrastructure, data, and systems in the State.

As non-governmental organisations continue to intervene in practically every aspect of our country, it becomes vital that we emphasise their contributions to our nationhood.