The African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) has urged Nigeria to scale up infection prevention and control (IPC) across primary health care centres (PHCs) nationwide.
The group warned that lessons from COVID-19 exposed the country’s vulnerability to outbreaks at the community level.
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AFENET highlighted results from its Epidemic-Ready Primary Health Care (ERPHC) pilot project in Ogun and Kano states, which strengthened IPC, disease surveillance, and rapid response at PHCs, protecting communities and health workers while maintaining essential services.
The project was implemented by AFENET with support from Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), in partnership with federal and state health agencies.
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Speaking at the close-out meeting on 17 December in Lagos, AFENET Regional Coordinator and Country Lead, Patrick Nguku, said the project has demonstrated that IPC, disease surveillance, and community protection at PHCs can improve Nigeria’s epidemic readiness.
Why IPC matters
Mr Nguku said the project has demonstrated significant effectiveness in Kano and Ogun states and called for its expansion nationwide.
“This close-out is not just about celebrating achievements. It is about using what we have learnt to push for national scale-up,” Mr Nguku said, calling on governments and partners to advocate more funding for PHC systems that can withstand infectious diseases, climate change, and future epidemics.
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The advocacy for better IPC follows the COVID-19 experience, which exposed deep weaknesses in Nigeria’s health system, especially at the local level, where PHCs are the first point of care for most citizens.
Many frontline facilities were underfunded, understaffed and ill-prepared to protect health workers and patients, leading to service disruptions and avoidable risks during the pandemic.
ERPHC was designed to close those gaps.
Pilot shows strong results
Giving an overview, AFENET Senior Epidemiologist, Moreen Kamateeka, said the ERPHC close-out marks the completion of a phase, not the “end of the journey,” with momentum already building for national scale-up.
Mrs Kamateeka said the pilot supported 256 PHCs in Kano and Ogun states, helping health workers move from fear and hesitation to confidence in screening, triaging, isolating, and reporting suspected cases, while continuing routine services safely.
“The project has shown that PHCs can prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks if they are properly supported,” Ms Kamateeka said.
She explained that the ERPHC framework is built around four capacities: connect, detect, protect and treat, and aligned with existing systems of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and state health authorities to ensure sustainability.
Project success
Presenting the impact evaluation, AFENET epidemiologist and IPC expert, Aisha Faruk, reported major improvements in facility readiness and health worker capacity.
Ms Faruk said facility readiness scores rose from 60 per cent at baseline to 98 per cent at endline, while IPC scores improved from 65 per cent to 96 per cent.
Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) scores also increased to 100 per cent.
According to her, the gains were driven by continuous mentorship, simulation exercises and strong government ownership, alongside online IPC and IDSR training that has enrolled over 14,000 health workers.
“The project helped close the gap between knowledge and practice,” Ms Faruk said, noting improved confidence, better case management, and data use for decision-making at the sub-national level.
Mentorship driving change
Mentors from Ogun and Kano states said the project became part of a daily practice, making hand hygiene, screening, and safer behaviours now routine in many facilities.
In Kano, mentors reported reaching over 100,000 beneficiaries through outreach activities, including in hard-to-reach and insecure communities.
Temporary hand-washing buckets are also being replaced with permanent hygiene stations in several PHCs.
Ogun State mentors cited the approval of personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement in the 2026 Annual Operational Plan as a key milestone towards sustaining the success of the project.
Call for funding, scale up
Civil society groups present at the close-out meeting also joined the call for increased IPC financing.
Representing the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Aminu Garba said the group worked with NCDC to restore the IPC budget line in Nigeria’s National Appropriation Act, which had disappeared in previous years.
Mr Garba said the advocacy has led to a N200 million allocation for IPC in the 2025 federal budget, describing it as a major boost for institutionalising IPC nationwide.
AHBN pledged continued civil society support for the next phase of scale-up under Nigeria’s National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), which includes specific IPC targets.
Representing the World Bank, Sowade Ayokunmi said the Bank-supported Health Security Project is positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for epidemic preparedness in West and Central Africa.
Mrs Ayokunmi said the ERPHC approach has now been developed into a technical package nearing readiness for nationwide dissemination, with growing interest from other countries, including Cameroon.
“This is a big win for Nigeria,” she said, adding that the close-out signals a transition to scale-up, not an end.
From pilot to national action
The close-out meeting also featured a panel session moderated by Elizabeth Adedire, AFENET Field Coordinator.
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The panellists included Principal Advisor at Resolve to Save Lives, Jenom Danjuma; Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board, Habib Tijjani; Head of Health Promotion Division at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Jane Ibanga; Head of Health Emergency Preparedness at NCDC, Abiodun Oguniyi; and Elijah Ogunsola, of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board.
They admitted that the ERPHC has strengthened preparedness, IPC, and disease surveillance at the PHC level and should be embedded into routine health systems.
They emphasised the need for political commitment, accountability and dedicated budgets at the federal and state levels to sustain and expand the gains.
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