State Consutant - Support for Acceleration of Sub-national Level Implementation of Priority Primary Health Care (PHC) Initiatives of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) 

The UK Support to Health transformation in Nigeria through the Lafiya Program is a flexible, demand-led strategic partnership with the Nigerian Federal and targeted State governments designed to address equity, improve and sustain health outcomes for the most vulnerable States with the worst health statistics. The desired objectives of the program included fostering an enabling environment for UHC policy reform and implementation, institutional management capacity building and health system strengthening. This required the full engagement and participation of communities with a view to contributing to ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths. The program operated at the Federal level; and geographically in five states of - Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe. Following the ODA cuts, from 0.7% to 0.5% and the spend review handrails, the FCDO reprioritization and business planning exercise beginning in the last quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021 the program had to scale down some key interventions and consider reviewing the geographic scope going into the next financial years. The program now focuses on contributing to three outcomes (1) Substantially increased health financing (SDG 3.c) (2) Improved coverage of integrated essential health services and health emergency preparedness (SDG 3.8 and SDG 3.d); and (3) Improved access to sexual and reproductive health services (SDG 3.7)

Output 1: Strengthened governance for the delivery of integrated health and nutrition services
Output 2: Strengthened health financing, including use of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and innovative financing approaches.
Output 3: Strengthened health workforce and health information systems, including use of data for decision-making.
Output 4: Improved health security through a One Health approach, including response to emergencies.
Output 5: Improved access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including strengthened access and demand in north-east Nigeria, and support to accelerate the demographic transition.

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW), launched the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) to strengthen the health system with a focus on revitalizing Primary Health Care (PHC). The initiative aims to ensure equitable access to quality, affordable, and resilient PHC services aligned with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative is being implemented using the Sector-wide Approach (SWAp).

Key PHC Priorities with NSRII include the Maternal and Newborn Mortality reduction and Innovation Initiative (MAMII), PHC revitalization, operationalization of the BCHPF 2.0 guidelines, the re-designed Community Health Worker Program, Zero dose, Big Catch-up and Campaign Effectiveness Initiative, health commodity supply chain strengthening and human resources optimization through provision of time bound salary support to states to hire, deploy and absorb Skilled Birth Attendants and Community Based Health Workers and other and performance-based financing initiatives including the HOPE PHC.

Lafiya programme aligns closely with national reform efforts, including the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), and supports the delivery of an essential package of health services, particularly at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level.
In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW), and in coordination with State Governments, the Lafiya Programme seeks to deploy State Consultants to accelerate the effective implementation of priority PHC interventions of NHSRII interventions at the subnational level.

Objectives

The overall objective is to support State Ministries of Health (SMOH), State Primary Health Care Development Agencies/Boards (SPHCDA/Bs), Implementation Partners and other stakeholders in the effective and timely implementation of priority PHC initiatives under NHSRII.

Specific objectives include:

Strengthening state-level ownership, coordination and implementation of priority PHC interventions using the established subnational coordination and governance structures of SWAp.
Supporting states in planning, budgeting, and performance tracking.
Enhancing state capacity for data use, monitoring, and reporting.
Facilitating linkages between federal and state-level implementation frameworks.

Duration of Assignment: The consultancy will be for an initial period of 6 months, renewable based on performance and funding availability.

Reporting and Supervision: The Consultant will report to the Director Special Duties, NPHCDA with indirect reporting to State Coordinator of SWAp Coordination Office and Lafiya State Team Lead.

 Location: The Consultant will be based in the assigned State of deployment (Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe) with travel to LGAs and occasional meetings in Abuja as required.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

The State Consultant will work closely with SMOH, SPHCDA, and relevant stakeholders to:

Planning & Coordination

Provide technical support for integration of priority PHC initiatives in the State Annual Operation Plans and ensure alignment with NHSRII goals.
Facilitate inter-agency coordination and stakeholder engagement and serve as the operational liaison between the SPHCDA/B, SMOH, LGAs, development partners and NPHCDA.
Support alignment and integration of donor and government-funded PHC activities with the priority PHC initiatives.

Technical Assistance

Support states in implementing NHSRII priority initiatives such as outlined in the background section (section 1 above).
Provide guidance to domesticate and operationalize national policies, guidelines, and tools based on their context.

Capacity Building

Identify capacity gaps and support training and mentoring of state and LGA health teams.
Facilitate supportive supervision and mentoring for PHC workers, PFMOs and Health Fellows.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Support data collection, quality assurance, and analysis to inform state quarterly and annual reviews and ensures use of data by subnational teams for operational and strategic decision-making.
Monitor key indicators and support the preparation of regular implementation progress reports.
Promote use of data for adaptive management and quality improvement.

Documentation and Reporting

Document success stories, lessons learned, and best practices dissemination to national stakeholders.
Support the preparation of quarterly state performance reports for submission to FMOH&SW and development partners.

Deliverables

Inception report with workplan and engagement strategy.
Monthly progress reports.
Quarterly state performance dashboards aligned with NPHCDA’s reporting mechanism.
Final end-of-assignment report including outcomes, challenges, and recommendations.

Required Qualifications:

Strong network and track record for supporting implementation of PHC initiatives at sub-national level.
Advanced degree in Public Health, Health Policy, Health Systems Management, or related field.
Progressive years of experience in health systems strengthening, preferably in PHC.
Demonstrated experience supporting government-led health initiatives at subnational level.
Strong knowledge of Nigeria’s health system and PHC frameworks.
Proven skills in coordination, facilitation, and capacity building.
Excellent communication, analytical, and report writing skills.

Employment Type: Consultancy

Compensation Type: Daily

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