By Rebecca Caleb Maina
As part of ongoing efforts to enhance community-driven pandemic preparedness in Nigeria’s North-East, stakeholders from Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba States, and the FCT gathered in Yola from April 16 to 17, 2025, for a two-day strategic meeting to strengthen community led pandemic preparedness in North-East Nigeria.
The event, which took place in Jimeta, Yola, was organised under the Community Engagement and Pandemic Preparedness and Response (COPPER CE) project,convened by Janna Health Foundation in collaboration with the SUFABEL Consortium and supported by ACT Africa.
The meeting focused on addressing long-standing health inequalities and improving community participation in pandemic response efforts.
Discussions were based on findings from community-level activities such as scorecard assessments, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a review of the Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PPR) Framework.
It also focused on field and desk review findings which highlighted limited community inclusion in Nigeria’s pandemic preparedness and response efforts, such as in the operations of Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs), risk communication, and the development and implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).
These findings revealed gaps in community engagement and highlighted the need for more inclusive, gender-responsive, and rights-based health systems.
Mr Paul Balogun of COPPER CE explained that the meeting was to also strengthen collaboration and align efforts towards improved pandemic governance.
He added that the second day of the meeting was used to validate an advocacy agenda aimed at ensuring inclusive representation in pandemic decision-making.
Participants proposed practical recommendations to be pursued through targeted advocacy and strategic stakeholder engagement, all aimed at creating a more community-centred pandemic preparedness framework.
In their goodwill messages Mr. Nuhu Yahaya, representing the Director of Public Health at the Adamawa State Ministry of Health, emphasised the importance of community driven sustainability for long-term health outcomes and stressed the need to give a voice to the unheard.
Mr. Paul Majam of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the initiative aligns with NCDC’s goal of building a resilient health system that leaves no one behind. Dr. Suraj Abdulkarim, Founder of SUFABEL, noted that key and vulnerable populations have long been excluded and commended the stakeholders efforts to change that.
He also acknowledged the support of the funders and the Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) in driving inclusive health planning.
Dr. Stephen John, Founder of Janna Health Initiative (JHI), shared the impact of JHI’s work since 2015, including outreach to nomads, refugees, widows, orphans, and miners to improve maternal and child health.
He stated that the organisation has mobilised over 1,000 trained volunteers, treated more than one million people for tuberculosis, screened 15,000 for leprosy, and successfully treated 500 cases.
He added that JHI’s work has earned international recognition, including an award in Geneva.
Representing CCM, Mrs. Winifred Alobo-Agogo and Dr. Ibrahim Tajudeen Olaitan, Executive Secretary of CCM, who all joined virtually stressed the importance of grassroots inclusion in pandemic preparedness.
The meeting also served as the second Coalition Review Meeting, providing an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and plan for sustainable advocacy and implementation.
Stakeholders endorsed the COPPER CE model as a practical and replicable approach to pandemic preparedness that can be scaled across Nigeria and beyond.
Participants were divided into six groups to validate advocacy agenda under six objectives: To establish multi-stakeholder coalitions and secure funding and technical support from international partners to implement inclusive PPR initiatives.
Build consensus among stakeholders and develop actionable plans for the implementation of inclusive PPR frameworks at national and state levels. To raise awareness about inclusive PPR and engage vulnerable communities, including Tsangaya schools and Almajirai, in the process.
To influence policymakers at the national and state levels to adopt inclusive PPR frameworks that integrate vulnerable populations, including Tsangaya schools and Almajira. Use media platforms to amplify advocacy messages, raise public awareness, and hold stakeholders accountable for the implementation of inclusive PPR initiatives.
Monitor the implementation of PPR policies, gather feedback from communities, and ensure accountability through regular reporting and evaluation.
The Stakeholders Engagement Meeting brought together key partners including the Country Coordination Mechanism of the Global Fund (CCM), civil society organisations (CSOs – ATM), community-based organisations (CBOs), religious and traditional institutions, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), State Ministries of Health (SMoH), relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and media representatives
The COPPER CE programme was designed in response to the gaps exposed during public health emergencies like the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic. These crises highlighted the exclusion of vulnerable communities such as nomads, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Almajirai from health services and planning due to limited access, language barriers, and lack of involvement. As a result, these groups were more affected by misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and poor health outcomes.
Supported by ACT Africa, the COPPER CE project aims to give these communities a voice, promote local health governance, and build more inclusive and responsive health systems that meet the needs of everyone during health emergencies.
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