Health policymakers, legislators, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders are expected to meet in Abuja in October to discuss how Nigeria can bridge the gap between health policies and their implementation.

The stakeholders will meet at the 2026 National Health Equity Conference scheduled for 13 to 15 October at the Nigeria National Merit Award House, Maitama, Abuja.

The conference, organised by OneBarrow International Limited, will focus on the theme, “From Policy to Impact: Care Coordination as the Core Engine of Health Equity.”

According to the organisers, the meeting will examine how stronger coordination across different levels of the healthcare system can improve access to care, quality of services and continuity of treatment.

The conference is expected to bring together policymakers, legislators, healthcare regulators, development partners, professional bodies, healthcare practitioners, civil society organisations, patient and community groups, academics and private sector representatives.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, is listed as the Chief Host, while the Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Amos Magaji, and the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, are expected to attend as Special Guests of Honour.

Policy implementation

The Chief Executive Officer of OneBarrow International Limited, Yemi Ajao, said the conference would focus on how existing health policies and frameworks could be translated into action.

“​​Nigeria has developed important health policies and frameworks, but the real test is what happens when those policies reach the people and communities they are designed to serve,” Mr Ajao said.

He said the conference would examine implementation across the federal, state and local government levels, as well as collaboration among healthcare professionals.

According to him, better coordination among doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, health administrators and other professionals could help reduce fragmentation in healthcare delivery.

“Every healthcare cadre has a unique and complementary role to play. The patient experiences the health system as one system, regardless of how many professionals or institutions are involved in their care,” he said.

He added that stronger referral systems, communication and accountability would be important to improving coordination within the health system.

Health equity

The organisers said health equity would be another major focus of the conference, particularly the effect of poor coordination on people who face barriers to accessing healthcare.

The meeting will also consider the role of technology, data and citizen participation in improving accountability in healthcare.

Issues expected to be discussed include digital feedback mechanisms, transparency, access to health information and awareness of patients’ rights.

Mr Ajao said citizens should have channels through which they can provide feedback on healthcare services and participate in discussions about the quality of care.

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“Citizens must understand their rights, have meaningful channels to provide feedback and be empowered to participate in conversations about the quality of care they receive,” he said.

Expected outcome

The organisers said the conference would produce a post conference communiqué and an implementation roadmap containing recommendations and commitments from participants.

They said the roadmap would be used to support policy implementation, track commitments and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders.

The organisers said the meeting would seek to move discussions beyond identifying problems to developing practical actions that can be implemented across Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Nineteen political parties in Kogi State have signed a peace accord ahead of the 2027 general elections in the state.

An engagement between the Inter-Consultative Committee on Election Security and political parties, held at the Kogi State Police Command Headquarters in Lokoja on Tuesday, saw representatives of 19 parties sign the peace accord to ensure a peaceful electoral environment in the state.

Under the agreement, the parties and their candidates are to base their campaigns on policies, programmes, manifestos and issues affecting the people of Kogi State for the overall development of the state.

Some of the parties that participated in the peace accord included the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Action Alliance (AA) and others.

They also pledged that their campaign platforms would stand against hatred, ethnic or religious division, personal attacks, inflammatory rhetoric and incitement.

The political parties also rejected the use of sponsorship or mobilisation of individuals and groups for electoral violence, intimidation, threats or disruption of political activities, and agreed to take reasonable steps to ensure that their supporters and campaign organisations conduct themselves peacefully throughout the electoral process.

The parties also committed themselves to respecting the independence and lawful functions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other institutions responsible for administering and securing elections.

They therefore promised to cooperate with electoral and security authorities to ensure peaceful elections while exercising restraint in public statements, speeches, broadcasts and social media communications.

The accord also rejected the deliberate circulation of false information, inflammatory messages, threats or other content capable of provoking violence or undermining public confidence in the electoral process. The parties agreed to respect the rights of rival political parties and candidates to campaign and participate in the electoral process without obstruction, harassment, threats or unlawful interference.

The parties also committed to protecting the rights of eligible citizens to participate freely in elections without intimidation, coercion, harassment or discrimination, saying that no party, candidate or supporter shall unlawfully interfere with a voter’s freedom to choose a candidate of their preference.

The parties agreed to respect lawful procedures for the announcement and declaration of results after the election, pointing out that any candidate or party dissatisfied with an electoral decision should seek redress through available legal and constitutional mechanisms rather than resorting to violence or self-help.

The commitment, according to the parties, would continue beyond the declaration of results, with all political actors expected to discourage retaliation, reprisal attacks, destruction of property and other forms of post-election violence.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by officials of the Kogi State Police Command, INEC, representatives of other security agencies, civil society and election observer groups, as well as religious institutions.

The stakeholders urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to uphold the spirit of the accord in the interest of peace and credible elections in the state.