Lukman Abdulmalik
The Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) and Engender Health, in collaboration with the Kano State Accountability Mechanism (KANSLAM), have held a one-day strategic alliance meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) aimed at strengthening accountability mechanisms and improving health and gender outcomes in Kano State.
The meeting brought together key CSO coalitions and advocacy partners to establish a formalized and collaborative alliance that would harmonize advocacy efforts and promote better coordination in advancing Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N), Family Planning (FP), and Gender/Social Inclusion across the state.
In his opening remarks the Senior Program Manager, CCSI, Oluyemi Abodumrin, noted that the sessions will focused on facilitating dialogue among CSO coalitions to identify and align on a unified advocacy agenda for RMNCAH+N, FP, and gender inclusion.
“It also provided a platform for coalitions to share successful strategies, challenges, and lessons learned from their respective advocacy experiences, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
“We train CSOs on how to use data write stories to amplify healthcare delivery.” He added.
Delivering a goodwill message, a representative of the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), Sabuwa Yahaya, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery by empowering the media to report on healthcare, budget, and accountability issues.
She said ISMPH is ready to collaborate with other stakeholders to enhance advocacy and promote transparency in the health sector.
Similarly, the Co-chairperson of KANSLAM, Maimuna Yakubu Muhammad, reiterated the organization’s mission to make Kano a model for effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria, adding that KANSLAM welcomed collaboration with CSOs to ensure quality healthcare services for all residents of the state.
Providing an overview of the advocacy landscape in Kano, Jummare Abdulazeez of Engender Health noted that the state has a vibrant advocacy ecosystem but requires better alignment, collaboration, and evidence-based engagement.
He stressed the need to strengthen multi-stakeholder platforms such as the Health Partners Forum, leverage KASCHMA’s informal sector expansion strategy for financial inclusion advocacy, and collaborate on primary healthcare accountability tracking tools.
Abdulazeez also emphasized the importance of engaging legislators and local government officials in joint oversight visits, building the capacity of media and CSOs in storytelling and policy engagement, and aligning advocacy messages under a unified results framework such as the #OpenKano Health Sector Dialogue.
In his presentation, Dr. Abdulsalam Kano, Executive Director of the Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Centre (FIDAC), highlighted several institutional challenges affecting accountability and governance in the health sector.
These include limited financial and human resources, poor access to reliable fiscal data, weak enforcement of fiscal laws, overreliance on short-term funding cycles, and inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems.
He stressed the need for stronger institutional frameworks, sustainable financing, and improved data transparency to achieve long-term impact in the sector.
At the end of the meeting, participants agreed that deepening collaboration among advocacy groups, development partners, and government agencies is crucial to achieving sustainable health reforms and improved service delivery in Kano State.
They emphasized that harmonizing advocacy efforts and promoting accountability would ultimately lead to better health outcomes, particularly for women, children, and other vulnerable populations.
The meeting further sought to define clear roles and responsibilities among partners while developing a joint work plan outlining key collaborative activities, timelines, and communication channels for the alliance’s initial phase.
