The Federal Government has concluded a four-day intensive training programme for health leaders and managers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), aimed at equipping them with tools to develop smart, budget-linked, and data-driven Annual Operational Plans (AOPs) for the 2026 fiscal year.
Organised under the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), the training was facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordinating Office. It is part of a broader strategy to align FCT health plans with national priorities and ensure efficient resource utilisation.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (FCT HSES), described the training as a milestone toward a responsive and accountable health planning process. According to her, the smart AOPs will align with the FCT budget and facilitate access to funds through the Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs).
> “This is a bold step towards building a health system that reflects the true needs of the people. Our goal is to develop budget-linked AOPs that government and partners can rally around,” Fasawe said.
More than 70 senior health officials, programme managers, and planning officers from FCT agencies, area councils, and development partners participated in the training. The sessions focused on:
Leadership and governance in health systems,
Evidence-based budgeting and results-driven planning,
Multi-stakeholder coordination and accountability mechanisms,
Use of web-based tools for AOP development,
Data literacy for decision-making and performance monitoring.
Dr. Teresa Nwachukwu, Acting Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at FCT HSES and FCT SWAp Desk Officer, noted that the programme aimed to bridge planning capacity gaps and align all stakeholder actions with the FCT Health Sector Strategic Blueprint (HSSB).
> “The training is part of a deliberate effort to ensure that the 2026 AOP reflects flagship initiatives like the HOPE Health Agenda, HSSB, and the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII),” she stated.
Participants identified critical health financing gaps across the FCT, especially in the area councils, citing inadequate budgetary provisions for key health programmes and monitoring activities. They urged development partners to harmonize their interventions with government-led strategies to avoid duplication and ensure impactful results.
Key recommendations from the training included:
Increased domestic and donor funding to support health systems,
Establishment of dedicated budget lines for monitoring and evaluation,
Strengthened health financing structures at the area council level,
Fulfillment of the 15% health budget allocation target in line with the Abuja Declaration of 2001.
The workshop reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving health service delivery under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda, with coordinated planning and transparent budgeting forming the backbone of ongoing reforms.
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