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Local Partnership for Development
The implementation of the DRGs programmes and
projects has become a veritable tool for
communicating sustainable development in
Nigeria and more room exists for widening the
partnership OSSAP-MDGs has begun in the last
four years. OSSAP has shown that there is room
for contribution by private sector, communities,
and various levels of government and local civil
society in working together to meet the MDGs.
However, before embarking on future MDG
projects, needs assessment should be carried out in
collaboration with the beneficiary communities.
They should also be involved in monitoring the
projects during implementation and trained on
their operations and maintenance. Private sector
organisations should be encouraged to participate
in infrastructural developments and public
advocacy for the MDGs. For example, waterfocused
NGOs should be encouraged to participate
in assisting communities in the maintenance of
hand pump and motorised boreholes, especially
where the repairs are too technical or large sums
of money (beyond what the communities can
generate) are involved. To achieve more value for
money, DRGs funds should be spent as much as
possible in the CGS model, which has
demonstrated a capacity to widen the scope of
resources available for the MDGs. Engagement of
civil society groups in the implementation of
projects should be stepped up as this has proven to
ensure the success of the project.
Greater Collaboration with Other DRG
Funded Programmes
Some of the challenges identified during the M&E
can be solved by greater coordination of, and
better collaboration with programmes designed to
achieve MDGs within OSSAP-MDGs. Reducing
maternal, newborn and child mortality in Nigeria,
for instance, is a complex task. The underlying
causes are numerous and many of the potential
solutions require interventions that go beyond the
jurisdiction of the health sector. As an example,
the challenge of lack of infrastructure in PHCs can
be tackled through the CGS and Quick-Wins
programmes. The lack of skilled manpower can
partly be tackled in the short term by synergy with
the Midwife Service Scheme and the cluster
system, both of which are being implemented by
NPHCDA with DRGs funding. The manpower
gap and mal-distribution of health workers can
also be tackled by the identification, mobilisation,
proper training and kitting of Traditional Birth
Attendants TBAs to provide delivery services in
PHCs under the supervision of health workers.
The NPHCDA is very well equipped to carry out
this aspect.
The Forum on Evidence-Based Health Policy
Making of The Nigerian Academy of Science held
in March, 2009 with the theme ‗Reducing
Maternal and Infant Mortality in Nigeria: Bridging
the Gap from Knowledge to Action‘ underlines
this interconnectedness of the problem. It linked
maternal and infant mortality to poverty, absence
of primary healthcare systems, poorly trained
medical workers and lack of political will.
The practice of appointing Special
Advisers/Assistants or Focal persons on MDGs, or
in some cases on CGS in the States, which with
most often concentrate their responsibility on only
CGS projects, does not augur well for
coordinating the march towards meeting the
MDGs. Special Advisers, Assistants and Focal
Persons appointed by states tend tofocus only on
CGS projects with no inclination to other DRGs-
MDGs programmes and projects implemented in
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