By Edem Ekpo
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has commended the Cross River State Government for what he described as clear, measurable reforms that align strongly with national health priorities. The Minister gave the commendation on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the state government on his arrival in Calabar for the high level sessions of the sixty sixth National Council on Health.
Professor Pate said Cross River has shown outstanding commitment to upgrading primary and secondary healthcare facilities, improving the health workforce and enhancing service delivery in line with the Federal Government’s renewed health agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The progress we have seen in Cross River State is impressive. The state is clearly among those at the forefront of implementing reforms that align with national priorities,” he said, adding that effective collaboration between federal and state governments remains the backbone of a resilient national health system.
The Minister also highlighted ongoing federal initiatives, including improvements in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, expansion of the primary healthcare network, training of more than seventy thousand frontline health workers and upgrades across tertiary hospitals nationwide. He stressed that such reforms only deliver lasting results when states, including Cross River, actively drive implementation at the grassroots.
Professor Pate expressed appreciation for the state’s hospitality and readiness to host the Council, describing the NCH as Nigeria’s highest health policy making platform under the National Health Act of 2014. He noted that decisions taken in Calabar will shape Nigeria’s health priorities for the coming year, with emphasis on governance, financing, quality of care, service delivery and emergency preparedness.
He also thanked the Obong of Calabar for receiving the national health delegation and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting states that demonstrate genuine dedication to strengthening healthcare delivery.
Receiving the Minister at the State Executive Chamber, Governor Bassey Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, said the administration has placed health at the centre of its development agenda. He explained that over the last two years the state has invested significantly in rehabilitating and equipping health facilities, supplying essential medicines, improving water and sanitation systems and expanding operational support across all eighteen local government areas.
Odey pointed to the near completion of the new General Hospital in Ikom, describing it as one of the largest secondary healthcare facilities currently under construction in the state. He credited the ongoing reforms to a coordinated health agenda led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk.
“Every request concerning healthcare has received urgent and deliberate attention. We are rebuilding the health system from the foundation,” Odey said.
He also extended an invitation to the Minister and his delegation to participate in this year’s Carnival Calabar festivities, noting that the state is honoured to host the nation’s leading health policymakers.
The sixty sixth National Council on Health continues in Calabar, with ministers, commissioners, development partners and experts deliberating on key policies aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health sector.
