The Programme for Equitable Expansion of Community-Based Health Workers (PEECH) has unveiled plans to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria through the training and upskilling of 44,000 Community-Based Health Workers (CBHWs).
The Project Director of PEECH, Dr Anddy Omoluabi, disclosed this during a presentation to the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, in Awka.
According to Omoluabi, the programme, scheduled to run from February 2026 to July 2028, will support the training and capacity development of Community Health Workers recruited across 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He explained that the initiative goes beyond workforce training by strengthening the institutions that support community healthcare delivery. This, he said, includes improved supervision, mentoring, data management, monitoring systems and governance.
The programme will also build the capacity of Local Government Health Authorities, improve schools responsible for training Community Health Workers and enhance healthcare services at the grassroots.
Omoluabi said the initiative aligns with a long-term strategy to create 600,000 paid Community Health Worker jobs for young Nigerians aged 18 to 35 and to expand access to primary healthcare for 50 million people nationwide.
He added that the program aims to maintain a 90 percent retention rate among Community Health Workers, enable 40 percent of them to transition into higher education or formal healthcare employment within five years, and increase government funding for the initiative to70 percent.
According to him, the programme is designed to transform Community-Based Health Workers from volunteer and ad hoc positions into paid, professional roles, with special emphasis on empowering young people, women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
Omoluabi revealed that the project has already completed its first phase, which included baseline assessments, profiling of Community Health Workers, evaluation of Local Government readiness, data collection, development of operational tools, stakeholder engagements, establishment of a coordination committee and a partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
He said the next phase would focus on implementation by supporting states currently recruiting Community-Based Health Workers, strengthening State Schools of Health Technology and enhancing the capacity of Local Government Health Authorities to effectively manage the community health workforce.
Responding, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to partner with PEECH to improve primary healthcare services across the state.
Obidike stressed the importance of digitising Anambra’s primary healthcare system to enhance service delivery and strengthen health data management.
According to him, adopting digital technology will improve the monitoring of health services, help identify service gaps and support evidence-based decision-making through timely and accurate data.
He noted that a digital health system would increase efficiency, improve patient care and advance the state government’s vision of building a modern, technology-driven healthcare system in line with the agenda of Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
The commissioner assured the PEECH team of the state’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the programme in Anambra.
He, however, noted that while the government remains committed to strengthening the health sector, any additional commitments would be based on available evidence, stakeholder consultations and the state’s priority healthcare needs.
