At the 2025 National Health Dialogue in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary of the Abia State Ministry of Health, Ifeyinwa Blossom, reaffirmed the state government’s ongoing efforts to recruit 771 health workers.
Mrs Blossom also highlighted the implementation of a new salary structure, which she said is aimed at reducing the persistent “japa” trend affecting the state’s health workforce.
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The dialogue, hosted by PREMIUM TIMES in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), brought together government officials, global health experts, civil society actors and journalists.
Mrs Blossom spoke during a session on state-level commitments and financing priorities for 2026.
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Recruitment still ongoing
Reiterating an announcement first made in April, Mrs Blossom said that the recruitment of 771 health workers remains ongoing, noting that the process is intended to be continuous.
“More will be recruited to bridge any remaining Human Resources for Health (HRH) gaps,” she said.
In September, Governor Alex Otti disclosed at a media parley in Umuahia that about 2,000 health workers had applied for the 771 positions, with 1,200 shortlisted for screening.
The governor assured that the final selection would be based strictly on merit and competence.
Earlier that same month, the Abia State Civil Service Commission debunked reports alleging the sale of recruitment slots for the exercise, urging the public to disregard what it described as a false publication.
Tackling brain drain with salary reforms
Like many Nigerian states, Abia has faces significant brain drain in its health sector. The trend, widely known as “japa”, has depleted the state’s doctor and nurse workforce.
In 2022, the then Chairman of the Abia chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Chimezie Okwuonu, revealed that no fewer than two medical doctors left the state every month in search of better opportunities abroad.
Mr Okwuonu warned that the pattern was placing immense strain on healthcare delivery across the state.
To address this, Mrs Blossom said the state government had begun implementing the Abia State Health Workers Salary Structure (ASHWOSS), which was approved in April and took effect on 1 May.
According to her, the new structure has already been implemented for state-level health workers, while integration for local government (LGA) workers is ongoing.
Governor Otti approved ASHWOSS to align Abia’s health workforce remuneration with the Federal Government’s Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS).
Under the review, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, radiographers, physiotherapists, optometrists and other allied health professionals in the state will now earn salaries comparable to their federal counterparts.
Mrs Blossom said the measure is intended not only to curb the exodus of health workers but also to improve retention and motivation across the system.
Health financing, 2026 budget
The permanent secretary also highlighted Abia’s efforts to increase health sector financing and reiterated that the government plans to allocate 15 per cent of its 2026 budget to the health sector.
Two days before the national dialogue, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Governor Otti presented a N1.016 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the Abia State House of Assembly.
The proposed budget, titled “Budget of Acceleration and New Possibilities”, represents a 13 per cent rise from the N750.28 billion approved in 2025.
The governor earmarked N149.7 billion for the health sector, exactly 15 per cent of the proposed spending if passed by the Assembly.
Mrs Blossom said aligning the state’s health blueprint with its budget and priority matrix remains a central part of the ministry’s work heading into 2026.
PHC revitalisation
A significant portion of the permanent secretary’s presentation focused on the ongoing revitalisation of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the state under the “Project Ekwueme” initiative.
She said more than 200 PHCs are currently being renovated, upgraded and fully equipped across Abia’s 17 local government areas.
The first four revitalised PHCs were commissioned by Mr Otti in June across the three senatorial zones, while efforts are ongoing to equip the remaining facilities and make them functional.
She explained that functionalisation involves opening a completed PHC for community use and goes beyond a simple commissioning exercise.
It is a period during which health promotion activities are carried out, community members are encouraged to take responsibility for safeguarding the facility, and a sense of ownership is cultivated to “ensure sustainability.”
She added that as part of the revitalisation programme, the ministry has also benefited from World Bank–funded PHCs, which are being integrated into the state-wide upgrade.
Strengthening secondary, tertiary healthcare
Beyond primary healthcare, Mrs Blossom said the state government is also upgrading five general hospitals as part of its broader effort to build a stronger, more responsive health system.
The facilities include General Hospitals Okeikpe, Ikwuano, Ohafia, Obingwa and Arochukwu. At the same time, Abia is strengthening teaching hospitals to improve their capacity to manage complex cases and handle referrals from primary and secondary facilities.
She noted that these reforms are being done alongside the PHC upgrades.
The government is also deploying Emergency Medical Care Staff (EMCS) to high-density areas to improve response times and ensure that emergency cases are promptly attended to.
In addition, she said community engagement and preventive outreach programmes are being expanded to improve health-seeking behaviour and boost routine utilisation of facilities.
She added that the reform plan also includes phased capacity-building, efforts to increase service uptake in PHCs and general hospitals, and continuous strengthening of referral systems and emergency medical services.
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About National Health Dialogue
The 2025 National Health Dialogue, supported by the Gates Foundation, was themed “Evidence, Innovation, and Financing for a Healthier Nigeria.”
The event featured a fireside chat with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, and remarks from the Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina; the Director-General of NACA, Temitope Ilori; and several state commissioners.
Apart from Abia, health commissioners from Jigawa, Katsina and other states also presented their financing priorities and commitments for the 2026 fiscal year.
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